PATNA: A traditional sword-fighting demonstration during a Muharram procession in Rajnagar, Madhubani district, turned into a serious accident on Friday evening when a sword slipped from a participant’s hand and struck a 16-year-old boy in the head. The incident took place on Chatti Road in Rajnagar Bazaar while performers were showcasing traditional swordsmanship as part of the procession. According to eyewitnesses, the sword accidentally pierced the teenager’s head by nearly two-and-a-half inches, triggering panic among those present. The procession was briefly halted as people rushed to help the injured boy. The victim, identified as Mohammad Nemat, son of Mohammad Shahmad Hussain and a resident of Laheri Bazaar, was immediately taken to the Community Health Centre in Rajnagar. Doctors, led by Medical Officer-in-Charge Dr Niranjan Jaiswal, provided first aid but were unable to remove the weapon because it had penetrated too deeply. He was subsequently referred to the Sadar Hospital. His family later shifted him to Ram Shila Hospital in Sakri, where doctors successfully removed the sword after a surgery that lasted several hours. Confirming the incident, Rajnagar SHO Satyendra Kumar said the teenager is now in stable condition and is being monitored in the intensive care unit (ICU). “He is talking and able to identify people,” Kumar told this newspaper. The participant handling the sword reportedly fled the scene after the accident.
