A 14-year-old boy was gored to death by a bull and 68 participants were injured during a Jallikattu event at Thadangam village in Dharmapuri district on Saturday. The teen, who was waiting for his bull at the exit, was hit by another bull after its owner couldn't tackle it. The 14-year-old was later taken to Dharmapuri medical hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The deceased was reportedly identified as S Gokul. A total of 622 bulls and 700 contestants were part of the event, which was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu minister MRK Panneerselvam.
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Earlier on January 17, in two separate Manjuvirattu (bull taming) events, two people were killed in Tamil Nadu. The deceased have been identified as Ganeshan, a spectator, and Bhoominathan, a bull tamer.
Manjuvirattu is similar to Jallikattu in which the bull is allowed to run in an open space with people watching from the sidelines. In some cases, currency notes are tied to the neck of the bull which the participants can take.
During a Manjuvirattu competition at K Rayavaram near Pudukottai, the bull after being unleashed gored Ganeshan, a spectator who had come with his friends and family members, to death.
In another incident, a bull tamer named Bhoominathan was gored to death during a Manuverattu event at Madurai. Four deaths have already been reported in the present season of Jallikattu in the past two days.
(With IANS inputs)