TRICHY, Jan 15: Tragedy struck the annual Jallikattu fair held at Periya Suriyur in Trichy district on Saturday morning when a bull gored its owner to death even as he was guiding the animal to the fighting ground.

The deceased bull owner, identified as 27-year-old Meenakshisundaram from Srirangam, was taking his bull through the entrance of the 'vaadivasal' (arena), when the animal went out of control and gored him to death. He was taken to Tiruchi Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital, where he was declared dead. He was gored in the thigh and bled to his death.

Later during the event nearly 50 people, including bull tamers and spectators, were also injured. Ten of the injured have been admitted to the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital.

The Trichy event was inaugurated by School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in the morning at 8 am. Trichy District Collector S Sivarasu administered the oath of fair play to the participants. The sporting event, where 486 bulls and 300 bull tamers participated, ended at 4 pm. Vaccine certificates and covid negative reports were mandatory to participate in the event. Medical teams and police were also present in strength. Suriyur is located outside the Trichy city.

The event was also held in Palamedu in Madurai district, where 729 bulls and 300 tamers participated and 36 people were injured. State Finance Minister PTR Palanivel, Minister for Commercial Taxes P Moorthy and Districrt Collector S Aneesh Sekhar attended the event there.

Jallikattu is a bull-taming sport, which has been part of the festival of Pongal, held annually. In the traditional sporting event, a bull is released into a crowd of people in the enclosed ground and the participants attempt to grab the animal. The bulls goring to death the tamers and other participants is a occurrence. Various gifts are presented to tamers and the bulls.