A car crashed into a crowd taking part in a major carnival in Calabar, southeast Nigeria, on Tuesday, killing at least seven people and injuring 29, a local road safety official said.
"A Toyota Camry lost control and crashed into a crowd of onlookers" who were watching a motorcycle parade in front of the Bogobiri Mosque, said Maikano Hassan, traffic safety commander in Calabar, the capital of Cross River state.
For the moment, "seven people have died and 29 are receiving medical attention, some are in critical condition"Hassan added in a statement released on Tuesday.
Among the injured are three girls and two boys.
Every year, the city of Calabar hosts one of the most famous carnivals in Nigeria and West Africa during the month of December.
According to its website, almost two million people come every year to participate in these festivities.
Quoted in a statement, Cross River Governor Ben Ayade urged security forces to arrest the driver, who fled.
Ayade also ordered the opening "immediate investigation to understand how the driver was able to get through security checks and access roads that were closed to the public".