NEW DELHI, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed including one gored to death by a bull, and 80 others, mostly spectators, injured during a bullfighting sport locally called Jallikattu in southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, police said Monday.
The deaths took place at M Pudur area in Sivaganga district, 433 km southwest of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu.
"Yesterday there was an event of Jallikattu in M Pudur during which about 500 bulls were there and huge crowd had gathered to watch the sport. In the melee during the event a young man was gored to death, while as another person died possibly of cardiac arrest as he had no apparent bruises on his body," a senior police official Thiru T Jeyachandran told Xinhua via telephone from Sivaganga.
"Many people were injured during the event when bulls ran amok but they were provided treatment and some of them were admitted in nearest hospitals."
Reports said the other person had died of shock when a bull ran towards him and rushed into the barricade.
Authorities had set up medical camps and kept ambulances handy during the event.
Police have registered a case and initiated investigations into the incident, Jeyachandran said.
The local government in Tamil Nadu earlier this year passed a law to revive controversial Jallikattu, after state witnessed massive protests seeking lifting of ban on the sport.
Jallikattu resumed in the state after local and India's federal government passed executive orders regarding its resumption to lift ban on it imposed by the country's apex court.
A number of Tamil celebrities including world chess champion Vishwanathan Anand, Oscar-winning music composer A R Rahman and superstar Rajinikanth supported protests and sought resumption of Jallikattu as symbol of Tamil culture and pride.
The sport was banned by the Supreme Court of India in 2014 after animal rights activists seeking prevention of cruelty to animals cited to India's top court that bulls in the sport were "severely harmed".
Jallikattu sport was traditionally practised as part of the harvest festival of Pongal in the state. Jallikattu involves men chasing bull attempting to grab its hump and ride it for as long as possible or stop it and remove piece of cloth affixed to its horns.
Over the years, many people have been gored to death during the sport. Even bulls suffer injures and sometimes get killed in such contests.
