3 Dead, 20 Injured in Electrocution Incident During Muharram Procession in Uttar Pradesh

Muslims took out tazia processions across the country and offered special prayers as they observed Muharram -- the martyrdom of Imam Hussain -- on Wednesday, even as three people were killed and more than 20 others injured as tazias came in contact with high-tension wires.

On Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram, Muslims commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain Ali, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in the battle of Karbala in 680 AD with mourning rituals. Usually dressed in black, members from Shia community take out parade through streets beating their chests and chanting, while some enact the suffering of Hussain by flagellating themselves with chains, ropes, etc. Sunnis observe fast and offer prayers. Tazia is a miniature replica of the tomb of Imam Hussain.

In Bihar's Araria, At least 14 people were injured due to electrocution during a Muharram procession in Pipra Bijwara area, police said. The incident took place as the procession was passing through an open field when a portion of the tazia came in contact with a high-tension electric wire, they said, adding all the injured were part of the procession.