Two Elderly Women Die, Children Injured in Aba Christ the King Celebration

Two elderly women tragically lost their lives, and several others, including children, were injured during the Christ the King procession held on Sunday, November 24, at Christ the King Catholic (CKC) Church in Aba, Abia State.

The annual event, organized by the Catholic Diocese of Aba, is a significant celebration in Roman Catholic and Lutheran traditions, marking the kingship of Jesus Christ. This year’s procession attracted an enormous crowd, causing heavy congestion in the church’s gate area and its surroundings.

Amid the gathering, two elderly women from Holy Cross Parish in Aba collapsed and were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were sadly pronounced dead. In addition, several children fainted due to the overwhelming conditions and were taken to a private hospital for treatment. A young boy was among those injured but survived the ordeal.

A worshipper, Modestus Kalu, expressed sorrow and frustration over the tragic outcome, noting that while fainting incidents during processions are not uncommon, this was the first time lives were lost. He emphasized the need for better crowd management to prevent such tragedies in the future.

“The crowd overflowed, and the atmosphere was unfriendly. Many people have serious health conditions. The Catholic Church should have known better and prepared for such occurrences. Nobody deserves to die such an avoidable death,” Kalu said.

He called on the Diocese to decentralize future processions, suggesting that parishes hold their own celebrations to avoid overcrowding at a central venue like CKC.

Videos from the event, including footage of the crowd and a child survivor, highlight the scale of the gathering and the distress caused by the incident.