20 people hurt as chariot falls during religious fete in Nepal

PTI

Kathmandu Updated: Apr 11, 2021, 10:56 PM IST

Despite being a small nation, Nepal was never colonised by any country. It has always been a sovereign nation and served as a buffer state between Imperial China and British India in the past. So, Nepal does not have an Independence Day. Photograph:(ANI)

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'Bisket jatra', a chariot-pulling festival, started in Bhaktapur municipality, 16 km east of Kathmandu, on Saturday morning

Twenty people have sustained injuries after a chariot fell and clashes erupted during a religious festival in Nepal's Bhaktapur.

'Bisket jatra', a chariot-pulling festival, started in Bhaktapur municipality, 16 km east of Kathmandu, on Saturday morning.

Soon after the festival was declared open a chariot fell and clashes erupted.

Two persons were injured as they came under the wheels of the chariot, police said, adding that some persons sustained injuries while pulling the chariot.

The injured have been admitted to Bhaktapur District Hospital for medical treatment.

Later in the night on Saturday, a clash broke out among the groups involved in the pulling of the chariot, regarding the traditional route that the chariot ought to have taken.

'Bisket jatra', an annual Hindu festival, this year is coinciding with the Nepalese New Year. The festival will go on till April 18.