Seven die in Calabar carnival, Ayade orders probe

Seven people have been reported deceased and 29 injured in an accident that happened on Tuesday during the annual Calabar Carnival, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps.

The Corps’ Sector Commander, Maikano Hassan, verified the number of casualties to the news media.

He claimed that the mishap happened during the Bikers Parade activity of the carnival in front of the Jumat Mosque in Bogobiri, the capital city of Cross River.

Hassan listed the number of injured to include 21 male adults, three women, two male children and three female children.

He said the injured were rushed to the Naval hospital and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital for medical attention.

He continued by saying that the two hospitals in Calabar had received the deceased’s corpses.

He claimed that during the carnival, a Toyota Camry vehicle lost control and slammed into a gathering of spectators.

According to NAN, the event abruptly ended the day’s activities, which were being attended by the state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, and other dignitaries.

Ayade, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Christian Ita, directed security agencies to apprehend the motorist who was on the run.

While sympathising with the victims of the accident and their families, the governor ordered an immediate investigation to unravel how the motorist beat security barricades to have access to the routes which were closed to the public.

Ita said the governor also directed the immediate discontinuation of the Bikers parade in honour of the victims of the accident.

While promising to ensure the culprit is arrested and brought to book, Ayade however, sued for calm.