Two children died in a crowd stampede at Jalingo main market in Taraba during panic shopping in hours allotted for resident to stock household needs.

With the state in lockdown, residents are allowed to go out between 10am and 2pm to stock up on home needs.

Thousands of shoppers trooped to the market to buy food items resulting in the stampede as they tried to beat the 2pm deadline.

Both children were on their mothers’ back in the stampede. The mothers fainted and were rushed to hospital.

The names of mothers of the two infants were not immediately identify as at the time of filling this report.

An eye witness in the market, Hassan Zubairu, said pick pockets took advantage of the situation to rob people.

“A middle age woman raised alarm when she discovered that that her money was removed from her hand bag,” the eye witness said.

When contacted, the police spokesperson, DSP David Misal, said the police have no such report. (Daily Trust)