Ganesh immersion stunt goes wrong in Rajasthan, four suffer burn injuries

Four people, including a traditional stunt performer from Punjab, suffered burn injuries after a stunt went wrong during a Ganesh immersion procession in Rajasthan's Jhalawar on Friday afternoon, officials said.

The incident took place at around 3.30 pm when a tableau in the immersion procession was passing through the Mangalpura intersection, triggering brief panic and disrupting the event for a short time before the rituals resumed.

Officials said the stunt involved a petrol bottle and a clay pot, with fire used as part of the act. The flames suddenly flared among the performers and accompanying troupes, injuring at least four people.

According to eyewitnesses, members of a traditional akhada were performing stunts when flames from a petrol bottle spread and caught people standing nearby. One of the injured performers said one of his colleagues was lying down with his eyes closed as part of the act while others were breaking coconuts and clay pots, when a sudden burst of fire behind him caused burns to his ear and other parts of his body.

The injured were identified as Raguveer, 26, Nitin Singh, 40, Vineet Porwal, 35, all residents of Jhalawar, and Chandan Sardar, 30, a performer from Punjab. People at the spot pulled them away from the flames and took them to Jhalawar Hospital for treatment.

Police said three of the injured were discharged after primary treatment, while Chandan Sardar, who suffered burns on one arm, is undergoing treatment at SRG Hospital. The incident caused brief tension at the spot, but the situation was brought under control and the Ganesh immersion procession continued. - Ends