With law-enforcing agencies having a tough time averting clashes during Moharram processions, at least six people were killed and around 50 others injured in separate incidents related to Moharram across the state in the last 24 hours.
There were around six incidents in which tazias caught fire that left several people with burns while some youths suffered injuries while doing aerobics during the procession.
In Ballia, Moradabad, Allahabad and Amroha, tazias were reduced to ashes after catching fire on coming in contact with overhead electric wires.
In Ballia, three people, Sami Khan(22) Salim Khan(18) and Imran (19), were electrocuted when they came in touch with a live wire while taking a tazia on a tractor-trolley in Sikanderpur area late on Friday evening. Besides, four persons also suffered burns.
In Faizabad, two people, who were returning after watching Moharram procession, drowned when the boat capsized in Gomti river in Kumarganj area on Friday evening. One of the deceased was identified as Mohammad Hasib (13) while efforts were being made to identify the other one.
In Moradabad, a tazia was burnt after coming in contact with a live wire near Jayantipur village in Majhalo area on Friday night. The incident left around 25 people with burns.
In Amroha, a 25-feet-high tazia caught fire after touching a wire in Kanakpur village of Didoli police station area on Friday night. A total of 11 people received burns.
In Barabanki, Latif (45) was critically injured when a tazia caught fire and fell on him at Pakariya Purwa village in Fatehpur police station area on Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, in Paraspur area of Gonda, an eight-year-old boy was killed when a wall collapsed while they were watching a Moharram procession in Anta village on Friday.
In Allahabad too, a tazia caught fire in Lalgopalganj area after coming in contact with a live wire in which six people received burns.
Similarly, in Paharpur village of Handia police station area of Allahabad, three people were injured when a tazia caught fire.
Meanwhile, in Gorakhpur, a tazia came in contact with a live wire critically injuring a youth in Bhathat area on Friday night. Irate public later went on a rampage damaging several vehicles and torched Bhathat police outpost. The mob also indulged in brickbatting in which outpost incharge Dileep Kumar Chaudhary and some policemen were injured. Later, a heavy police force reached the spot and defused the situation.
In Gauri Bazar area of Deoria, communal tension flared up when Vishal aka Kanha (11), who was watching a procession, was critically injured after being hit by the sword being used by a mourner on Friday night. While a critically injured Kanha was rushed to SGPGI in Lucknow, members of two communities came to a head over the incident. The two sides fought a pitched battle for several hours torching several vehicles, including police jeeps and ambulances. Later, a heavy police force rushed to the spot and restored order.
In Bareilly too, agitated at not being allowed to take out a procession from a particular area, a flustered crowd squatted on National Highway-24 in Naktakiya locality on Friday afternoon and blocked the traffic. The incident was triggered when villagers announced that they would not allow Moharram procession to pass through and blocked all roads since Friday morning.
To remove blockade from the highway, a police force from Bareilly district and two companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and PAC rushed there but failed to remove protesters. The blockade continued till Friday midnight before protesters were chased away. Clashes between those carrying out Moharram processions and law-enforcing agencies were also reported from Kushninagar, Maharajganj, Meerut and Gonda.
