31 persons have been dead in a stampede during an outreach programme organised by a new generation church, Kings Assembly, on Saturday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The is located in the GRA area of Port Harcourt, but the event was held at the Port Harcourt Polo Club, a bigger facility to accommodate the anticipated crowd.
Confirming the death figure, the acting Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the church had organised the outreach to give out palliatives to the underprivileged in society before the unexpected occurred.
“It is 31 persons that died. It was a stampede because a church was trying to give out palliatives.
“They were about to start the event by 9am or so. But some persons went there and broke into the place and went inside.
“So people started rushing in and there was a stampede.
“From the information we have, the church was trying to gift items and food to assist the underprivileged.
“Meanwhile, investigation has commenced to ascertain the remote and immediate causes of the incident,” Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, stated.
(PUNCH)
