Crowd crushes at two charity events in Nigeria kill at least 32 people | National & World [Video]

(CNN) — At least 32 people were killed in crowd crushes at two separate charity events in Nigeria on Saturday, police say.

Some 22 people were killed at an event held in a community center in Okija in the southeastern state of Anambra, state police said on Sunday.

The event was held to distribute bags of rice to women in need, state broadcaster Radio Nigeria reported. Hundreds of people showed up to receive the rice, it said, leading to the crowd crush when people surged forward to try and reach it.

Victims of the crush include “women, the elderly, pregnant (women), nursing mothers and children,” Christian Aburime, Chief Press Secretary to the Anambra State Governor, said in a statement.

The event was held by the eastern Nigerian Obi Jackson Foundation with “the noble intention of sharing relief materials with less privileged members of the community during this festive season,” Aburime said.

“However, the resulting tragedy underscores …