Tragedy Strikes UP Muharram Processions: Four Dead, Multiple Injuries Reported

Four people lost their lives and 26 others were injured during tazia processions on Muharram in various districts including Gonda, Pratapgarh, Ballia, Sant Kabir Nagar, and Kannauj, police reported.

In Gonda, a 12-year-old named Ashraf was electrocuted when a tazia fixture touched a high-tension wire. Another individual, Riyasat, sustained burns in the same incident. Both were taken to a medical college where Ashraf was declared dead while Riyasat's condition was stable.

Electrocution Incidents

In Telianpurwa village of the Itiathok area in Gonda, four individuals were electrocuted when a tazia came into contact with an overhead power cable. The injured, Babu, Akram, Gaya Prasad, and Munni Devi, were rushed to a hospital for treatment.

A similar incident occurred in Pratapgarh where 25-year-old Mohd Wasif died after a tazia touched a high-tension wire at Babuganj Railway Gate. In Bhatpur village under Khalilabad Police Station jurisdiction, Mohammad Ali, 24, died from electrocution while three others were injured.

Structural Collapses

In Ballia's Bharatpur Chhapra village, four children were injured when the roof they were standing on to watch the procession collapsed. In Kannauj, under Sakrava Police Station jurisdiction, another roof collapse resulted in the death of one child and injuries to 14 others who had gathered to watch the Muharram procession.

Interfaith Clash

An interfaith clash erupted in Bahraich over the route of a tazia procession. The altercation occurred in Sanchauli village of Payagpur area when some individuals removed a wicket fence in a farmer's field to make way for the procession. Four people were injured during this clash.

Additional Superintendent of Police Ramanand Kushwaha stated that the fight broke out due to the removal of the fence. BJP Payagpur MLA Subhash Tripathi identified three of the injured as Prem Chand Gautam, Pradeep, and Shubham.

The incidents highlight the need for better safety measures during such processions to prevent future tragedies.