Three dead, 70 suffer burns in Mohurrum events in UP

Tribune News Service

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Lucknow, September 22

Ashura, the 10th day of Mohurram marking the martyrdom of the Prophet’s grandson Imam Hussain, turned out to be tragic as at least three persons died and around 70 mourners were burnt in different incidents across Uttar Pradesh.

Three mourners died in Ballia, one was critically injured in Gorakhpur and many more were burnt in Moradabad and Amroha.

In Moradabad, 50 mourners from Jayantipur village suffered burns when the loudspeaker mounted on top of the 16-ft tall taziyas hit electricity wires and caught fire. Thirty-six of them are battling for their lives in the district hospital. 

All the incidents followed the same pattern – tall taziyas (replica of the mausoleum of the Imam Hussain), which is symbolically buried in local Karbalas across cities, touching hanging high-tension wires and causing death and burn injuries by electrocution.

In Gorakhpur, mourners turned violent and beat up two policemen and tried to set ablaze the Bhathat police post when the taziya touched a high-tension wire.