Calabar Carnival Tragedy: Death Toll Rises to Eight

The death toll in the Calabar carnival tragic incident has increased to eight, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported.

The Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Cross River, Maikano Hassan, disclosed this to NAN in Calabar yesterday.

A tragic incident had occurred during the Bikers’ parade carnival, an integral part of the annual Calabar carnival, on Tuesday. The incident occurred in front of the Jumat Mosque in Bogobiri when a driver of a Camry car lost control and rammed into the crowd of onlookers.

Seven persons were said to have died on the spot, while 29 others were rushed to the Naval Hospital and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital for medical attention.

The injured included: 21 male adults, three women, two male children and three female children.

The FRSC sector commander said that the additional casualty was one of the injured three female children.

“We went round the hospital where the injured were being treated to discover that one additional death had been recorded.

“We are also pleased to say that some of those injured in the incident had been discharged, while others were responding well to treatment,’’ he said.

The Tuesday incident, which had Gov. Ben Ayade and other dignitaries in attendance, brought the day five activity of the carnival to an abrupt end.

The annual carnival, which started during the administration of former Gov. Donald Duke, had not held in the last two years.

The carnival was suspended in 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, while no reason was given for its failure to hold in 2021.

Meanwhile, the governor has condoled with the families of those who lost their lives and promised to bring to book the driver of the vehicle who caused the accident.

The driver of the vehicle had been arrested and presently under police watch in an undisclosed health facility where he is receiving treatment for the injury he sustained in the crash.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Sule Balarabe, confirmed the arrest of the driver.