Tamil Nadu: 2 killed, several injured as temple chariot collapses on devotees in Dharmapuri

According to the police, the incident took place on Monday evening near a temple at Madhehalli in Papparapatti. Around 6.30 pm, when the 30-feet chariot of the Kaliamman temple was being taken around the streets as part of the Vaikasi festival, it collapsed.

A #chariot collapsed at Papparapatti town in Dharmapuri during a temple festival today. According to the officials, two people died, few others are critically injured and they are currently undergoing treatment at the Dharmapuri govt hospital. pic.twitter.com/al5eF4sZ6m

— Janardhan Koushik (@koushiktweets) June 13, 2022

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

A video of the incident shared widely on social media showed the chariot collapsing and people screaming and running to rescue those who were trapped.

Speaking to indianexpress.com, Dharmapuri Superintendent of Police C Kalaiselvan said two men who were trapped under the wheels of the chariot died and four others were injured and were taken to the Dharmapuri Government Medical College Hospital. He said they have launched an enquiry into the incident.

Dharmapuri MP Dr S Senthilkumar and district officials visited the injured at the hospital. AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam released a statement condoling the incident and said the government needs to take steps to ensure that the chariot is in a good condition before allowing it to be part of a procession.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister M K Stalin expressed his grief at the incident. In a statement, he said he is deeply saddened by the passing of Manoharan (57) and Saravanan (50) and said he has ordered the best treatment to the injured persons at the Dharmapuri hospital.

தர்மபுரி மாவட்டம் பாப்பாரப்பட்டி மாதேஹள்ளி பகுதியில் உள்ள காளியம்மன் கோயிலில்#தேர்_விபத்தில் காயமடைந்த 4 பேர் தர்மபுரி அரசு மருத்துவ கல்லூரி மருத்துவமனையில் சந்தித்தேன்.

உடன் அரசு மருத்துவர்கள். pic.twitter.com/Z4a8Km30xd

— Dr.Senthilkumar.S (@DrSenthil_MDRD) June 13, 2022

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

He announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the family of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured persons from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.

Subscriber Only Stories

View All

Premium

Seven decades since Independence, it’s high time our films reflecte...

Premium

India still fails its women, 75 years after Independence

Premium

Cricket chases the American dream

Premium

Self-regulation: Divide among Big Tech firms on way forward

Subscribe Now to get 62% OFF

In April this year, a similar temple chariot accident in Tami Nadu’s Thanjavur had claimed the lives of 11 people after an overhead high tension voltage cable came in contact with a temple chariot during a procession.