A stampede Saturday at a church charity event in southern Nigeria left 31 people dead and seven injured, police told The Associated Press, a shocking development at a program that aimed to offer hope to the needy. One witness said the dead included a pregnant woman and many children. The stampede at the event organized by the Kings Assembly Pentecostal church in Rivers state involved people who came to the church’s annual “Shop for Free” charity program, according to Grace Iringe-Koko, a police spokeswoman. Such events are common in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, where more than 80 million people live in poverty, according to government statistics. Saturday’s charity program was supposed to begin at 9 a.m. but dozens arrived as early as 5 a.m. to secure their place in line, Iringe-Koko said. Somehow the locked gate was broken open, creating a stampede, she said. Godwin Tepikor from Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency said first responders were able to evacuate the bodies of those trampled to death and bring them to the morgue. Security forces cordoned off the area. READ: Nigeria attacks: Hundreds reported killed as bandits target villages Dozens of residents later thronged the scene, mourning the dead and offering any assistance they could to emergency workers. Doctors and emergency workers treated some of the injured as they lay in the open field. Videos from the scene showed the clothing, shoes and other items meant for the beneficiaries. One witness who only identified himself as Daniel said "there were so many children” among the dead. Five of the dead children were from one mother, he told the AP, adding that a pregnant woman also lost her life. Some church members were attacked and injured by relatives of the victims after the stampede, according to witness Christopher Eze. The church declined to comment on the situation. The police spokeswoman said the seven injured were “responding to treatment." The “Shop for Free” event was suspended while authorities investigated how the stampede occurred. Nigeria has seen similar stampedes in the past. Twenty-four people died at an overcrowded church gathering in the southeastern state of Anambra in 2013, while at least 16 people were killed in 2014 when a crowd got out of control during a screening for government jobs in the nation's capital, Abuja.

At least three people were killed and six others injured as a microbus carrying tourists fell into a ditch beside Bandarban-Thanchi road on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Md Monjurul Islam,40 of Mymensingh, Md jaynal Abedin, 32, of  Faridpur, and Md Hamidul Islam, 41, of Lalbagh area in Dhaka. All worked as security staffers of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology(Buet). The accident occurred around 10:30 am near Jibannagar area as the vehicle carrying nine tourists fell into the roadside ditch, leaving Monjurul dead on the spot, said Rakib, Sub-Inspector of Thanchi tourist police. Jaynal and Hamidul died on the way to a hospital, he said.  Also read: 9 killed as cab falls into gorge in Kashmir The injured were identified as Wahiduzzaman,40, of Magura, , Md Rajib Mia,30, of Manikganj, Md Abdul Malek,52, of Gaibandha,  Md Milan ,30, Md Faysal,35, and Md Faruq , 40, of Dhaka. They were all senior security guard members of State and Legal Office in Dhaka and were appointed at Security Division of BUET, said SI Rakib. Also read: 5 killed in Sirajganj road crash

A rickshawpuller was killed Sunday as an electric pole that was being shifted hit his head in the city's Khilgaon area. The victim was identified as Abdur Rashid, 45, a rickshawpuller. Son of Habibur Rahman, Rashid hailed from village Panchadas under Shibgonj upazila in Bagura district. He was residing at Guran area under Khilgaon police station. Police quoting witnesses said the incident took place between 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm when an electric pole was being shifted near Jorpukur field. Contacted, Officer-in-charge (OC) of Khilgaon police station Faruqul Alam said the electric pole had become unstable when a big tree fell down due to storm on early Saturday. READ: Rickshawpuller electrocuted while charging his vehicle's battery DESA was working to shift the shaky pole from the spot. The victim rickshawpuller, who was watching the matter from very close distance, received fatal injuries to his head when the shaky pole fell down suddenly, the OC said. He was first taken to nearby Khidma hospital from where he was shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where he succumbed to injuries at around 2:45 PM. DMCH Police Camp in-charge Inspector Bachchhu Mia said that the body was kept in the hospital morgue. The concerned police station has been informed, he said.

A 63-year old private contractor was killed allegedly over a property dispute in Chuadanga district on Monday night. The deceased was identified as Kamal Hossain, a resident of the Munshiganj Clinic Para area in Alamdanga upazila. Locals spotted a severely injured Kamal lying unconscious near Protigya Nursing Home around 11pm and informed cops. Also read: 2 REB staffers killed in Jamalpur train accident A team from the local police station rushed to the spot and took Kamal to the nursing home and then to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival around 12am. “The body had injury marks,” said Ahsanul Haque, duty doctor at Chuadanga Sadar Hospital. Abdul Alim, officer-in-charge of Alamdanga police station, said, "We got to know that the victim had a land dispute with a local youth, named Shadhin, who might have plotted his murder." Also read: Man killed in clash over delivering sermon after Jumma: 3 arrested “The body was sent for an autopsy and a probe is on. Efforts are also on to nab the suspect,” said the OC.

Seven members of a family died when the car in which they were travelling collided with another vehicle on a busy expressway in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. Police said all the deceased, including a child, were on their way to attend a wedding when the accident occurred on the Yamuna Expressway in the state's Mathura town, 130 kms from the national capital. "The impact of the crash was such that all the occupants of the car died on the spot. Two occupants of the other vehicle also sustained injuries in the accident," a police officer told the local media. Also read: 7 die in India building fire Indian Prime Minister's Office tweeted to say that Narendra Modi had expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished for a quick recovery for the injured. "A probe has been ordered into the fatal accident," the police officer said. Road accidents are very common in India, with one taking place every four minutes. These accidents are often blamed on poor roads, rash driving and scant regard for traffic laws. Also read: Extreme heatwave batters millions in India, Pakistan Indian government's implementation of stricter traffic laws in recent years have failed to rein in accidents, which claim over 100,000 lives every year.

A 20-year-old man was hacked to death on Tuesday allegedly by some local youths over his affair with a woman in Singair upazila of Manikganj. The deceased was identified as Rony, son of Nawab Ali of Wisenagar village in the upazila, said Shafiqul Islam Molla, officer-in-charge of Singair police station. The alleged crime occurred in front of a local shop in East Bandail village of the upazila around 4pm. Also read: Man suffers bullet injuries during Eid congregation in Cumilla According to witnesses, some four or five men, including a youth named Shanto,18, from Sahrail village hacked him with sharp weapons over Rony’s love affair. Rony’s family took him to Enam Medical College and Hospital in Savar in a critical condition, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. OC Shafiqul said a murder case would be lodged in this regard after an autopsy. Also read: Two killed, 10 injured in Faridpur clash

Two youths were killed and another was injured when their bike collided with a motorised three-wheeler on the busy Barisal-Patuakhali highway in Jhalakathi district early Wednesday The deceased were identified as Nirob, 25, son of Shahjahan Mridha, and Limon, 20, son of Nasir Howldar. Both were residents of ward 29 area in Barishal city. The accident occurred around 12pm near the Kather Ghor area of Nalchity upazila on the Barisal-Patuakhali highway. Also read: 2 killed in Chattogram road crash According to witnesses, Nirob with his two friends -- Limon and Sumon -- were travelling towards Barishal on a motorcycle when it collided with the three-wheeler. Nirob dead on the spot in the impact. Limon died of his injuries at Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital, while Sumon is battling for his life at the medical facility, said Abul Kalam, ward master of the hospital. Ataur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Nalchity police station, said the injured was taken to hospital by locals. “We are looking into the matter,” he said. Also read: NGO officer killed in Khulna road crash

Two people were killed  in a collsion between a private car and an auto-rickshaw  in the port city on Sunday.The deceased were identified as RajuDash,40, the auto-rickshaw driver from Halishahar area and Josna Ara Begum, 75, passenger of the private car. The accident occurred around 2:30 pm near Kalushah bypass at Banglabazar area on Sitakunda-Patenga road. Also read: 2 killed in Ctg road accidents The private car heading towards the city from Mirsarai collided with the battery driven auto -rickshaw coming from the opposite side of the road leaving its driver Raju dead on the spot, said the witnesses. Josna Begum was taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital in a critical condition where doctors announced her dead , said Zakir Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Akbar Shah police station.“Josna’s son Maruf and the car driver remained unhurt. The car was seized but the driver managed to flee”, said OC Zakir Hossain. Also read: Two bikers killed in Dhaka road crash

Two men riding a bike were killed after being hit by a truck on Khilgaon flyover in Dhaka early on Friday. The deceased were identified as Bdhan Bishwash, 42, and Entaruzzaman Milon, 43. The accident occurred around 3.30 am when the speeding truck hit the motorcycle from behind, leaving the two dead on spot, said Maruf Hosain Milon, sub-inspector at Khilgaon police station. READ: 2 killed in Faridpur road crash “The truck has been seized but its driver managed to flee. The bodies have been sent for autopsy,” said SI Milon.

A 65-year-old man has been killed over land dispute at Shiyali village in Rupsha upazila of Khulna district. The deceased is Chittaranjan Bala,  a resident of Shiyali village in Ghatbhog union of the upazila. Witnesses said Samir Bala, cousin of the deceased, locked into an altercation with Chittaranjan Bala over their land boundary. READ: Man killed over land dispute in Ctg At one point, Samir hit Chittaranjan with a stick when he fell unconscious. He was rushed to Rupsha Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Rupsha Police Station Mosharraf Hossain said Chittaranjan Bala was killed over previous enmity over a land.