A 13-year-old school girl succumbed to injuries at the Government Medical College Hospital in Adukkamparai near Vellore on Friday after she got hit by a charging bull during a bull race held at Panamadangi village in Katpadi, making her the third victim this year.
Police said that N. Vinodini, daughter of S. Naresh, had gone to her relative’s house for Pongal festival last week. A bull race was held in the village on January 15. Like all other residents, Vinodini was also witnessing the event from the space earmarked for spectators along the runway barricaded with wooden logs.
Suddenly, one of the bulls charged into the crowd due to the huge noise created by the spectators. The bull hit her causing a head injury. Immediately, she was rushed to the GH in Adukkamparai for treatment where she died on Friday. “A case has been filed. The races will be held up to March-end on all days except Sundays due to complete lockdown making it necessary to ensure the safety of spectators and participants,” the police said.
Unlike neighbouring districts like Tirupattur where only 20 villages were allowed to conduct bull races with a few villages organising the event everyday, the district administration in Vellore had allowed bull races in all its 670 villages in a phased manner with at least three villages conducting the event and 150 bulls taking part daily.
On January 16, a Class VIII student died at the Pernambut Government Hospital of the injuries he sustained when he was attacked by a charging bull at an unauthorized bull race conducted at Kallicheri the previous day (Saturday).
A day later, a 60-year-old farmer from Tiruvannamalai, who had come to witness the bull race in Kilarasampet in Kaniyambadi Block near Vellore, was killed when a bull attacked him while running on the runway. He was witnessing the event from behind the barricades.
