14 killed, 29 injured in Nigeria bikers' carnival tragedy: Official

By Olanrewaju Kola

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - Fourteen spectators have been killed and 29 injured after a car rammed into a crowd of onlookers at a bikers' parade firing a carnival in Nigeria's southern port city of Calabar, an official said.

Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), Maikano Hassan, told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday the car lost control while driving on the parade ground.

"The incident happened when a Toyota Camry car lost control and rammed into a crowd of onlookers," he said.

In a statement earlier, he said the bodies of the deceased have been evacuated from the scene.

Governor of Cross Rivers State, Ben Ayade, on Wednesday expressed regret at the carnival tragedy, describing the incident as the first since the start of the annual event about two decades ago.

“This is the first time we have had an incident of this nature and I can assure you that it won’t happen again. With all sense of grief, with all sense of melancholy, we submit to the will of God," the governor said during his visit to the injured victims at the Navy Reference Hospital, Calabar.

He assured more security barricades will be erected at the carnival ground to prevent occurrence of accident during the annual event.

Calabar is the capital of Cross Rovers State.

A Lagos-based TV producer, Nelson Etah blamed the government for failure to erect stronger barricade and put appropriate measure at the event ground.

The Calabar carnival, an annual event with a series of social and spotting activities, usually is held throughout December.