Tragedy struck during a Catholic procession at Christ The King Catholic (CKC) Church in Aba, Abia State, as two elderly women reportedly lost their lives and several others, including children, sustained injuries.
The event, known as “Christ the King Sunday,” is an annual celebration in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church to honor Jesus Christ’s kingship and sovereignty. The procession, organized by the Catholic Diocese of Aba, attracted a massive crowd from urban parishes across the city to CKC premises along Asa Road.
Eyewitnesses reported that the event’s large turnout led to overcrowding, which created suffocating conditions. The two elderly women, identified as members of Holy Cross Parish, collapsed within the church premises and were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Several children also fainted during the event and were quickly taken to a nearby private hospital for treatment.
A parishioner, Modestus Kalu, expressed concern over the repeated incidents of individuals collapsing during large church gatherings. He called on the Diocese to implement measures to manage crowd sizes during processions to prevent future tragedies.
“The crowd was overwhelming, and the environment became unsafe. Many attendees have underlying health conditions, and the church should have anticipated such risks. This tragedy was avoidable. I pray for the souls of the departed and for their families to find comfort during this difficult time,” Kalu said.
Attempts to reach Bishop Augustine Echema of the Aba Catholic Diocese for comments were unsuccessful, as church officials stated he was unavailable. However, a senior laity leader assured that the church is taking steps to engage with the families of the deceased and address the situation.
This incident has raised concerns about crowd management during religious gatherings, with calls for better safety protocols to avert such occurrences in the future.
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