Official: 17 Killed in Nigerian Church Stampede

Seventeen people were killed and dozens of others injured on Saturday in a stampede following the end of an overnight church vigil in eastern Nigeria, a government spokesman said.

"We have visited the hospital in Nkpor and found 17 corpses that were brought in from the scene of the disaster," spokesman Mike Udah told Agence France Presse.

Local media reports claimed the death toll could be higher, claiming that up to 28 people had been killed in the stampede at St. Dominic's Catholic Church.

There was no immediate known cause for the stampede which happened in the grounds of the church as followers celebrated an overnight vigil to mark All Saints' Day.

The tragedy happened at 6am (0500 GMT).

Hours earlier the event had been attended by the local Anambra state governor, Peter Obi. He later returned to the scene of the tragedy and visited the injured in hospital, promising to set up an inquiry to establish the cause of the tragedy.