ABUJA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 children were killed and dozens of others injured on Wednesday in a stampede at a children's carnival organized in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria, local media reported.
The carnival took a devastating turn after the private organizers of the event announced plans to distribute cash to 5,000 children, which triggered a chaotic rush to enter a high school, the venue of the funfair in the Basorun area of Ibadan on Wednesday morning, local TVC News reported.
In a statement, Oyo State's Commissioner for Information Dotun Oyelade blamed the lack of proper planning and coordination by the event organizers for the loss of lives. He said the victims are mostly children.
The government has not yet compiled a complete list of the victims, who were transported to various hospitals across Ibadan for treatment, the commissioner added.
"Parents who are concerned about the whereabouts of their children are urged to check the medical facilities in Ibadan where children affected were taken for proper medical attention with valid means of identification," he said, adding that the police have commenced an investigation into the incident.
