Dozens of children crushed to death at Nigerian amusement fair

Thirty-five children have died and six others are hospitalized after a crush at an amusement fair in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan, police say.

The event was advertised as free admission and drew huge crowds, but so many people turned up that it became overcrowded and they had to fight to get in.

Residents said more than 5,000 children had gathered at the venue and the clash broke out when the chief organizer arrived to start the event.

The sequence of events leading to the crush has not been revealed.

Police say they have arrested eight people behind the event, including chief organizer Naomi Silekunola, a well-known personality in the city.

The Oyo state government said the victims were taken to hospitals in Ibadan for treatment after the attack that took place at the Islamic High School in Bashorun district of the city.

It said “several people lost their lives and were injured”.

Authorities have urged parents who are worried about their children to get themselves checked at hospitals in the city.