The Rivers State Police Command has said a total of 31 persons died during a stampede at the venue of an outreach programme put together by a new generation church in Port Harcourt on Saturday morning.
The church, the Kings Assembly was said to have invited members of the public to partake in the event and promised that gift items and food would he served.
The church is located in the GRA axis of Port Harcourt, but the event was to hold at the Port Harcourt Polo Club, a bigger facility to accomodate the anticipated crowd.
The acting spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the 31 death, saying the church had organized the outreach to give out palliatives to the underprivileged before the unexpected occured.
It was learnt that the crowd overstretched the venue as the church had invited members of the public to come and receive gift items and free food for its fourth anniversary.
A source said some of the invitees arrived since Friday evening, while others arrived as early as 6.30am on Saturday for an event that was supposed to start by 9am.
He said most of the victims were taken to the nearby military hospital in Port Harcourt.
“As I speak with you, I have counted 21 corpses at the military hospital. I heard some were taken to a different facility.
“This is not the first time the church is holding this programme, but the crowd since yesterday (Friday) till this morning is too much. Punch.