A commotion broke out during the observance of Chehellum at Makanpur Karbala in the Bilhaur police station and tehsil area of Kanpur late last night. The incident occurred while biryani was being distributed to people alongside the ritual of cooling Taziye. As a large gathering of young men arrived at the venue, the distribution turned chaotic, leading to a frenzy where people scrambled to grab food from the large cooking cauldron. Several individuals suffered minor injuries and scratches in the scuffle, while videos recorded by onlookers have since gone viral across social media platforms.
Overcrowding at the Chehellum Venue
The event was organized in Makanpur town within Kanpur to commemorate Chehellum in memory of Hazrat Imam Hussain. According to the details of the event, organizers were carrying out two activities simultaneously. On one side, Taziye were being cooled as part of the observance, while on the other side, volunteers were distributing biryani as prasad to the attendees. However, as the night progressed, an unexpectedly large crowd of young men gathered around the distribution stall, quickly overwhelming the space and creating immense pressure on the management team.
Volunteers Flee as Cauldron Is Knocked Over
Seeing the overwhelming numbers and the aggressive push from the crowd, the volunteers distributing the food realized they could no longer control the situation and retreated from the distribution stand. With no organizers present to manage the queue, the crowd swarmed the elevated stand where the large biryani cauldron was placed. In the ensuing rush, the entire cauldron was knocked off its stand and crashed onto the ground. This triggered an even bigger scramble as people pounced on the fallen cauldron to secure their share of the food.
Chaotic Grab for Food Caught on Camera
Visuals from the scene show people resorting to whatever means necessary to carry away the biryani. Some individuals scooped the food into utensils they had brought, while others filled polythene bags. Many who had neither containers nor bags were seen grabbing food directly with their bare hands before running away from the spot. The intense jostling left several people with ruined, stained clothes and scratch marks caused by fingernails during the physical struggle. Bystanders recorded the entire chaotic episode on their mobile phones, and the footage quickly surfaced on social media, attracting widespread online attention.
