Chennai: Seven persons, mostly spectators and a bull owner, died in the jallikattu and manjuvirattu events held across Tamil Nadu on Kaanum Pongal day, police said on Friday.
Two bulls too died in separate incidents. While one bull died during the event in Pudukkottai, a bull owner and his bull died at Siravayal manjuvirattu in Sivaganga, the police said.
At the manjuvirattu in Siravayal in Sivaganga district, Thaneesh Raja of Naduvikottai Keela Aavandhipatti village, who brought his bull to take part in the event died along with his bull after the animal fell into a farm well at Kambanur while running away from the arena.
Both Raja and his bull drowned when he jumped into the well to get hold of the animal. About 130 people were injured in the manjuvirattu in which 150 baiters and 250 bulls participated. A spectator Subbaiah of Devakottai was gored by a bull and died on the way to the hospital.
A 55-year-old spectator P Periyasamy of Mettupatti village near Vadipatti, was gored in the neck by a raging bull in Alanganallur in Madurai where at least 70 people, mostly spectators sustained injuries, police said. Periyasamy was declared brought dead at the Rajaji Government Hospital, Madurai.
Two spectators were gored to death and 148 persons including bull owners, and tamers were injured in four separate jallikattu events in Tiruchirappalli, Karur, and Pudukottai districts. A 60-year-old spectator, Kulanthaivelu, from Samuthram near Kuzhumani in Karur district, was gored to death at the jallikattu events in RT Malai.
Police said a 70-year-old spectator identified as C Perumal of Odugampatti near Keeranur was gored to death in the Mahadeva Patti jallikattu in Pudukottai district where 607 bulls and 300 tamers participated. Ten persons including tamers and spectators were injured.
About 19 persons were injured in the Vanniyan Viduthi jallikattu in Pudukottai district. A 30-year-old man died in an 'eruthu vidum vizha' event, a kind of bull race conducted at Basthalapalli in Krishnagiri district, while a 45-year-old man died after being attacked by a bull in the Sentharapatti in Salem district, police said.
