A 17-year-old spectator died on Wednesday during a bull race at the Samudi Vattam village near Jolarpet town in Tirupattur.
The police said V. Vikram, a native of Achamangalam village in Jolarpet block, was running for cover along with other spectators near the start line around 12.30 p.m. when one of the bulls, charging towards the crowd, attacked him.
As ambulance was not available at the spot at the time of the incident, he was taken on a two-wheeler to the Government District Headquarters Hospital in Tirupattur, around 15 km from the village, the police said.
Doctors declared him brought dead, and his body was sent for post-mortem. A case has been filed by the Jolarpet police. Initial inquiry revealed that more than 250 bulls were registered to participate in the race.
A large number of spectators from Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Salem, Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai and Hosur came with their bulls to participate in the event. Vikram returned to his native village on Sunday evening to witness the race in his neighbouring village. Eldest among his three siblings, he was a school drop-out and was working in a bakery in Chennai. Later in the day, Tirupattur Collector D. Bhasakara Pandian visited the teenager’s family and consoled them. Officials said that as per norms issued by the Collector, the races should be held between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Bulls should be allowed to run only on the runway in the village. The runway is 100 m long and 15 m wide, with eight feet-tall wooden barricades on its sides.
On January 18, an 18-year-old spectator was killed in an unauthorised bull race near Natrampalli town.
