Shocking Moment Towering 170-Foot Tazia Collapses Onto High-Voltage Power Lines During Muharram Procession In India As Thousands Of Devotees Flee In Panic

Heart-stopping footage has captured the moment a colossal 170-foot Tazia tower, a symbolic bamboo-and-paper replica of Imam Hussain’s tomb, suddenly lost balance and crashed onto live high-tension wires during a packed Muharram procession in Uttar Pradesh.

The dramatic collapse unfolded at around 4:30 pm on Sunday, July 6, 2025, at the Karbala ground in the Sadar Kotwali area of Banwaripur, Lakhimpur Kheri district. More than 10,000 mourners had gathered as the towering structure, brought from nearby Baludiha village and elaborately decorated in bright colours, was being lifted into place for the religious ritual.

Viral video shows the immense structure beginning to tilt precariously as the men carrying it struggled to keep control. Within seconds, it lurched sideways, broke apart mid-air and slammed into an 11,000-volt power line overhead. Terrified devotees scattered in every direction, running for their lives as the giant tower came down amid the crowd.

Miraculously, no one was seriously injured. Authorities had already cut the power supply as a precaution before the procession began, preventing what could have been a catastrophic electrocution. Police station in-charge Deepak Tiwari rushed to the scene and later confirmed the situation was under control, with officers quickly restoring order and beginning efforts to safely remove the tangled remains from the wires.

Tazias are temporary ceremonial structures traditionally built for Shia Muslim processions during Muharram, which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD. These elaborate towers – often constructed from bamboo frames covered in colourful paper, fabric and decorative elements – are carried or paraded through streets before being buried at the end of the mourning period.

Incidents involving oversized Tazias are not uncommon in parts of India. Local authorities have in the past imposed height restrictions (sometimes as low as 12 feet) amid safety concerns over power lines, narrow streets and crowd density, yet towering examples continue to appear during the annual observances. Similar near-misses and occasional tragedies involving contact with overhead cables have been reported in previous years across Uttar Pradesh and other states.

The footage, which has circulated widely online, has drawn attention to the delicate balance between religious tradition and public safety during large-scale processions. While the event itself continued after the scare, the collapse served as a stark reminder of the risks involved when massive handmade structures are manoeuvred through dense urban areas.