Bacchanal Band truck loses break in Antigua Carnival, Pregnant Woman among injured

Antigua: A pregnant woman is among several injured in a Band Truck’s accident during Antigua's 2025 Carnival celebrations on Monday. The truck carrying members of the Bacchanal Carnival Band and their equipment's, reportedly malfunctioned and lost its brakes while heading down Queen Elizabeth Highway.  

The incident took place after 5:00 pm, sending the massive, decorated vehicle sliding through the massive crowd leaving spectators and attendees shocked and scrambling for safety. A disturbing video from the incident is also going viral across social media, showing the crowd rushing, with screams and shouts.  

Among those injured in the incident is a pregnant woman, who was rushed to a medical facility for treatment. Another serious injury involved in the accident is that of a security guard, who eyewitnesses say was tethered to the truck by a rope and was dragged several feet before he was rescued.  

“This was horrifying to witness,” said one bystander. “People were dancing one minute, and the next there was screaming and chaos. We saw people on the ground, some bleeding, others in shock.” 

The Bacchanal Band also withdrew its other festivities from the Monday celebration following this incident and returned to their YASCO base. A band executive confirmed the incident but declined to provide details, stating that they were still assessing the situation internally. 

Notably, the Royal Police Force of Antigua issued a statement just 24 hours prior to the incident specifically to the operators of large vehicles to exercise extreme precaution. Investigators are now assessing the situation and emergency services are currently examining the cause of the truck’s mechanical failure and evaluating whether safety protocols were adequately followed. 

The total number of injuries remain unknown, but emergency responders were seen helping multiple individuals on the scene. Authorities have yet to release an official statement in relation to the incident. 

Stay tuned with Associates Times for more updates on this story.