The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed seven deaths and 29 injuries in an incident that occurred during the annual Calabar Carnival on Tuesday, December 27, 2022.

Eyewitnesses reported that a vehicle lost control and veered into an unaware throng at the ongoing Calabar Carnival, killing more than ten people, including onlookers.

A carnival path called Mary Slessor Road is where the event took place at around 4 o’clock.

The parades for superbikes and exotic automobiles were scheduled for today by the carnival organizers. But because of the late start, the event had to end.

According to the eyewitnesses, the automobile that spun out was not one of the carnival cars.

“We saw the truck coming from opposite direction of the carnival procession and rammed into waiting crowd of spectators, hawkers and residents of Bogobiri.

“As many as ten persons are believed to have been killed.”

Balarabe Sule, the commissioner of police in Cross River State, verified the occurrence to reporters over the phone as well.

He claimed that the event took place during the Bikers Carnival activities of the carnival in front of the Jumat Mosque in Bogobiri, the capital city of Cross River.

Sule reported that there were 21 male adults, three females, two male children, and three female children among the injured.

According to him, the injured were taken urgently for medical care to the Naval Hospital and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).

He claimed that the two hospitals in Calabar had received the deceased’s bodies.

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

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

There are rumors that other carnival events for the year have been put on hold.

Gov. Ayade has expressed sympathy to the families of those who passed away and pledged to prosecute the driver of the car that caused the collision.