Breaking News: 40 persons including Children and Women are feared dead as Kings Assembly Church Program Causes Stampede in Port Harcourt
A total number of people numbering up-to 40 are feared dead as a church program organized by Kings Assembly Church causes heavy stampede in port Harcourt Polo Club.
This happened just before the programme kicked off and started gathering momentum.
The program is organized by Kings Assembly, a new generation church located in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State.
It didn't happen at ‘Kings Assembly’ church premises which is located in the GRA area of the Port Harcourt metropolis rather the programme was hosted at Polo Club to accommodate the large congregation which is expected to grace the occasion.
Reports gather that the Kings Assembly Stampede was caused by the huge crowd that overstretched the venue to partake of the free food and gift items that the church promised attendees to mark her fourth anniversary.
A source mentioned the invitees arrived as early as Friday evening and few others came in early hours of this Saturday morning for an event slated to kick off by 9am today. Of course you'd expect this massive turnout as the hardship in the country especially Rivers State is at its all time highest.
It is however heartbreaking that 40 of these persons who made the daunting sacrifice to be on this occasion are no more today.
A number of the victims were rushed to the military hospital which is the closest health facility to the venue but doctors confirmed our greatest ordeal.
As we speak, over 21 corpses have been counted in this hospital. News also has it that multiple casualties are recorded in nearby hospitals where others were taken as military hospital alone wasn't enough to accommodate all the victims of this stampede in port Harcourt.
This isn't the first of this kind of program organized by Kings Assembly and nobody envisaged a stampede but with the crowd that turned in from yesterday (Friday) till today was too much and one would have been surprised if this sad ordeal never happened especially if this kind of circumstances wasn't put into place in planning for the event.
It is quite sad that worshippers who came en masse to commune, pray and receive free food and gift items are now to be transported back home to their various houses.
The situation is precarious and very painful, the church isn't to take much of the blame especially if every security protocol was made to avoid these unseen circumstances. It is rather the government and politicians who fail in their duty to provide a good standard of livelihood that will take the majority of the blame. If people had enough even when the crowd becomes much there will be less struggle to access food and gift items and this will certainly reduce the chances of a stampede.
Kings Assembly stampede, was a product of poor indigent citizens struggling to get their share of the good will before it elapsed.
Reports had it that the small gate into the venue was forced open this morning as the congregants occupied favoured positions to access the gifts and this struggle to secure a good place led to this Rivers church stampede.
According to punchng online newspaper, the acting police spokesperson of the state, Grace Iringe-Koko, was contacted and she confirmed the incident, but could not give an actual number of casualties yet.
The event that took place is highly regrettable that the Kings Assembly Stampede would have been prevented if things were better in the society and if we as black men and women exercised patience and order we would not be talking about stampede in port Harcourt.
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