From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Tragedy struck Calabar metropplis as one of the Camry cars lost control and rammed into the crowd, killing over 15 persons with several others injured during the Bikers’ Carnival held on Tuesday in Calabar.
The Bikers’ Carnival is one of the innovations brought into the Calabar Carnival by Governor Ben Ayade to add colour and panache to the annual festival introduced by former Governor Donald Duke in 2004 .
Witness said shortly after the Bikers’ parade was flagged off about 5:00pm, one of the Camry car on the parade, sped off from Eleven-Eleven Round-About along Calabar Road heading to Mary Slessor, one of the adjucation points, and lost control and rammed into the crowd around the Central Mosque at Bogobiri nad killed anout 5 persons on the spot.
The witness further said after about 20 minutes of the the incident a other five gave up thw ghost while others died on the way to hospital and a few died at various hospitals they were rushed to.
He said l those affected are some members of Hausa community, passers-by and shop owners who came for one business or the other around the Bogobiri axis.
According to the witness, the imcident created pandemonium as people ran helter shelter for safety following reaction by Hausa community whose people were mostly affected.
As at the time of filling this report, the corpses have been evacuated while the injired persons nunbering over 10 have been rushed to soem hospitals for medical attemtion.
Checks by Daily Sun showed that security personnel have cardoned off the Mary Slessor -Bigobiri axis to forestall breakdown of law and order just as the Carnival ended abruptly.
The state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade was already seated with other dignitaries when the incidenþ occurred.
Confirming tje incident, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Cross River, Maikano Hassan, said it ocured when a driver of a camry car lost control and rammed into the crowd of onlookers.
Hassan, who could not give the figure of casualty, said that victims of the incident have been all evacuated to hospital.
According to him, “I am on my way to the hospital to ascertain the figure of deaths and those injured.
“But I can confirm that the reports is true and will get back to you as soon as am able to establish the number of casualties.”
