Seven persons are hospitalised at the St. George's General Hospital nursing serious injuries following number of chopping incidents which occurred over the two days of Carnival activities within St. George's.

The injured are Sheldon Bartholomew, 23 years from Calivigny, Andre La Touche, 23, from Cooper's Hill, Alister Hillaire, 19, from Grand Anse, Chrispin Blake, 17, from Grand Anse, Douglas Morain, 40, from La Tante in St. David, Cariman Baptiste, also from La Tante in St. David, and Lurkest Henry from Belmont.

Speculation is rife that most of the chopping incidents took place on J"ouvert morning and involved members of rival gangs of delinquent youths in the country. Several persons who assembled in the Belmont and Lagoon Road areas enjoying J'ouvert found themselves scampering for their lives as rival gangs pulled out cutlasses and other weapons in their clashes.

According to an onlooker, some of the persons trying to escape injuries from the gang fighting had to run into nearby homes and some business places for their own safety. It is alleged that one of the persons severely chopped is the leader of the "Bloods" crew.

A police official told this newspaper that it was among the worst body chops he had seen on an individual when he visited the so-called leader of the "Blood". As part of their attempted crackdown on rival gangs, police officials last week moved in on a group of youngsters associated with a Gang on the Carenage and forced them to lay flat on the ground while searching them for weapons.

The incident occurred near to the docking facility in-front of the Fire Station on the Carenage. A flare gun and other items were reportedly seized by the police in the operation. Minister with responsibility for Youths, Senator Emmaline Pierre, told Grenada Today that what has occurred over the festive season is rather unfortunate at a time when persons would have turned out to enjoy themselves.

The female government minister said it is rather unfortunate that persons saw it fit to engage and conduct themselves in such a manner. She indicated that the situation calls for a collaborative effort to address the issue, adding that the law should take its course in dealing with the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, police are said to be conducting investigations into an alleged rape of a female in the Frequente area in the early hours of last week Wednesday morning.