JUST-IN:Many feared dead,scores hospitalised in stampede over Christmas rice at Obi Jackson Foundation in Anambra

Dozens of Anambra residents are feared killed after a rice-sharing event led to a stampede in Okija, Anambra.

The tragedy on Saturday morning came after Obi Jackson Foundation, run by oil magnate Ernest Obiejesi, announced plans to share rice to the less privileged in the spirit of 2024 Christmas. 

“Dozens of people were killed,” a witness told Peoples Gazette on Saturday morning. Videos showed the bodies of some of the diseased, mostly women. 

Witnesses said many injured participants were rushed to Our Lady’s Hospital in Okija. A spokesperson for the hospital did not immediately return a request seeking comments. 

The police in Anambra said the matter was under investigation, with the command spokesperson declining to elaborate on Saturday morning. 

A resident who spoke with The Gazette about the incident said thousands of 10-kilogramme bags of rice were shared, and many people received only cups of rice because of the large number of people looking to benefit from the Christmas charity, which Mr Obiejesi organises annually.

His foundation operates children’s hospitals and educational facilities in Okija, about 100 kilometres south of Awka, the state capital. 

 The Gazette has contacted Mr Obiejesi for comments about the development. 

The incident came days after a similar Christmas charity event turned deadly in Ibadan, killing 35 children.