Firecrackers in Ravana effigy fly into crowd at Dussehra burning, people flee in panic; video goes viral

A video of a Ravana effigy burning at a Dussehra event is going viral on social media. As soon as the effigy was set alight, the firecrackers packed inside began flying towards the people watching, and a stampede broke out in the crowd. The video has been watched more than 4.22 lakh times so far.

The tradition of burning Ravana has been followed for years. Based on the idea of the victory of truth over falsehood, large effigies of Ravana are put up in many places. They are stuffed with grass, rubbish and a large number of firecrackers. A prominent person from the village or city then plays Lord Ram, shoots an arrow and sets Ravana on fire. Thousands of people gather to watch.

In the video that has gone viral this time, an effigy of Ravana was set on fire at one location. As soon as it caught fire, the firecrackers inside began to burst. But instead of going up into the sky, they flew straight towards the people standing in front. Rocket-type firecrackers and sparks were falling directly on the crowd.

Panic broke out among the people. Everyone began running in different directions to save themselves. It was impossible to tell who was heading where. This is highly dangerous and could cause injuries. Even so, the way people are running in the video makes it hard to stop laughing.

The video was posted on an X account named @Gabbar0099. It clearly shows a man setting Ravana on fire. At first everything seems fine, but within two seconds the firecrackers inside begin to burst and everything goes wrong.

When the sparks began falling on people, they were alarmed. Women, children and the elderly all began to run. At a festival meant to carry the message of the victory of truth, an atmosphere of fear took hold for a short while. Ravana was burning, and people were running along with him. There is no report of anyone being seriously injured, which is a relief, but such carelessness can put lives at risk.

Viewers are posting amusing comments on the video. One user, @pythonym, wrote, "The people who burned Ravana look more corrupt than Ravana himself."

Another user, @Kakashi10009, wrote, "Ravana must be thinking, you should have shot the arrow at the navel, now see what I do to you!"

A user named @avadhesh1569 is suspicious. The user wrote, "This looks deliberate. Look, people had started running before Ravana had even burned fully."

Such precautions should be taken every year when Ravana is burned. When firecrackers are packed into the effigy, they should be fixed properly so that they do not fly towards people. Attention to safety is also essential. A festival is meant for joy and should not be allowed to turn into such a mess.