"What Kind of Dance Is It?"... At Least 10 Dead Dancing at Festival in India

Some Festival Organizers Suspend Events
Hypertension and Diabetes Patients Should Avoid

At least 10 people died from heart attacks and other causes after dancing the 'Garba' during the Navratri Hindu festival held in western Gujarat, India.

Indians dancing Garba.
Photo by Yonhap News

According to major foreign media on the 23rd (local time), during the six days of the Navratri festival, there were 609 emergency calls reporting breathing difficulties and 521 calls reporting heart-related problems to 108 emergency rescue services.

Garba, a traditional Gujarati dance, is performed during Navratri, an annual festival honoring the goddess Durga. The festival takes place over nine nights starting from October 15th.

Most reports were concentrated between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. The Gujarat state government issued alerts to all public hospitals and local health centers near the festival sites. They also requested the organizers to take all necessary measures, including deploying ambulances and medical teams at the festival grounds in preparation for any patients. Additionally, medical staff advised festival participants not to dance Garba for extended periods without rest.

The deceased ranged in age from teenagers to middle-aged adults. Among them was Bir Sha (17) from Kapadvani village in the Kheda district. He suddenly felt unwell and started bleeding from the nose while dancing Garba. He was immediately transported to the hospital, but by the time his parents arrived, he had already been pronounced dead.

The cause of death was reported to be a heart attack. The bereaved family said, "One should not dance Garba for a long time without resting. We lost our son today. We hope the same does not happen to anyone else." Those attending the event mourned him, and the organizers canceled the event the following day.

In Dabhoi, Vadodara district, a 13-year-old child died of a heart attack. The child had a minor injury after falling while riding a bicycle back from the Garba event and was discharged after examination at the hospital. However, the child later complained of chest pain, took medication, fell asleep, and ultimately did not wake up.

It is unclear whether the heart attacks were directly related to Garba. Similar cases were reported in Ahmedabad, Navsari, and Rajkot as well.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) issued guidelines for Garba event organizers and participants in light of the heart attack cases. The Ahmedabad branch of the association also recommended that people over 40 years old with a family history of heart disease undergo a health check-up before participating in Garba.

According to the association, more than 11% of India's population suffers from diabetes, and 36% have prediabetes. Medical experts warned that not only diabetes but also hypertension and obesity can cause problems in the coronary arteries, so caution is necessary.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.