One Person Died And 80 Were Injured In Jallikattu Competition In Tamil Nadu

The Jallikattu event took place on Friday causing death of one person and injuring 80 others persons in the Avaniyapuram near Madurai in Tamil Nad. According to the official, the injured include 38 bull tamers, 24 bull owners, and 18 bystanders.

On Friday, 641 bulls raced into the field at Avaniyapuram village in Madurai district during the district's Pongal harvest festival, kicking off the jallikattu fights. Prizes were awarded not just to the tamers, but also to the animals. No one was able to tame the bull belonging to Devasagayam of Manapparai, hence he was named the best bull.

Meanwhile, at Avaniyapuram, hundreds of locals gathered there, getting space on roofs and outside the barricades to witness the event of Jallikattu. However, the competition is held every year in Tamil Nadu villages during the festival of Pongal.

D. Balamurugan, a 19-year-old Avaniapuram spectator, was impaled to death. He was rushed to the Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital, where he died. The activity was started about 7.30 a.m. by Tamil Nadu Ministers Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and P. Moorthy, who were joined by Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan and Collector S. Aneesh Sekhar.

Despite the fact that visitor admission was restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, locals flocked to the location around the bull gathering location to see the event. The majority of them did not use masks, and physical disconnection requirements were not followed. Only after testing negative for COVID-19 were the competitors permitted to participate. Participants underwent RT-PCR tests, as well as fitness evaluations for bulls competing in the event.