JOIN USIn a stampede that ensued during the third day of Suttur fair, in Nanjangud taluk of the district, five persons suffered minor injuries.
The injured included a journalist, a mahout, a kavadi and two girls, who had visited the venue for the fair.
The incident occurred when two elephants of Suttur mutt, Drona and Champa, raised a ruckus owing to the noise of crackers that were burst during Rathotsava, at the venue. The elephants which were near the mutt premises, reacted out of fear as the crackers burst, and ran haywire, resulting in losses to vendors, who had set up shop for the fair.
This prompted a panic reaction from the devotees who had thronged the venue. After a few minutes, Kavadis Basavaraju and Shankar succeeded in controlling the elephant.
The injured Preethi and Sinchana were provided first aid at the local hospital, while mahout Mahesh and Kavadi Annaiah were transferred to a hospital in the city for further treatment.
Representatives of the mutt, said that elephants had been made accustomed to crackers prior to the fair.
However, since the noise generated was louder than anticipated, it resulted in the accident, he claimed.