The number of deaths in a crowd in the southeastern city of Okija in Nigeria has risen to 22, according to police.
It is the third case this week of people being crushed to death at events where free food was distributed.
The deaths in Okija occurred on Saturday at a charity event as residents rushed to collect Christmas donations, including rice and vegetable oil.
On the same day, a similar tragedy at a Catholic church in the capital Abuja killed 10 people, while on Wednesday 35 children died at a carnival event in the city of Ibadan.
Police have now warned organizers to notify authorities before holding charity events to prevent such deaths.
Toyin Abdul Kadri, who witnessed the crush at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Abuja, told AFP that those present “broke down the gates and forced themselves inside.”
The incident involved “vulnerable and elderly people” and four children were killed, police said.
In a social media post about the violence, Amnesty International Nigeria wrote: “President Bola Tinubu’s government must urgently address widespread hunger, higher unemployment and rapidly declining living standards.”
Food and transportation costs in Nigeria have more than tripled in the last 18 months.
The global inflation surge has been exacerbated by some government measures aimed at strengthening the economy in the long term, such as eliminating a fuel subsidy.
In a statement on the deadly clashes, President Bola Tinubu said: “At a time of joy and celebration, we mourn with our fellow citizens who mourn the painful loss of their loved ones. Our prayers for divine comfort and healing are with them.”
He called on state governments and police to enforce strict crowd control measures and has canceled all of his official events honoring the victims.
He also noted the similarities between incidents, including one earlier this week in the southwestern city of Ibadan.
A has a crush at a school festival 35 children were killed and six others were seriously injured.
Thousands of people came with the promise of free food.
Residents of Bashorun, a suburb of Ibadan, told the BBC that the crowd soon exceeded 5,000 and many tried to force their way through the school gate. Parents are said to have attempted to climb over the fence surrounding the property to gain entry.
Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the three “tragic” incidents underlined the “urgent need for a more structured and effective approach to providing assistance to vulnerable communities and members of the public in general”.
