Both incidents occurred during celebrations for Eid al-Adha, one of Islam's holiest days
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NEED TO KNOW
- A man died after a buffalo gored him during preparations for an Eid al-Adha sacrifice in Malaysia’s Johor state
- The man’s niece said family members were gathered for the holiday when the buffalo became agitated and attacked
- Police said another man suffered fractured ribs in a separate buffalo attack later that same day
One man has died and another was injured in two separate buffalo attacks during a religious celebration in Malaysia.
The incidents both occurred on Wednesday, May 27, in the Malaysian state of Johor during Eid al-Adha, one of Islam's holiest holidays, according to a translated media release from the Seri Alam District Police Headquarters.
The first incident took place at approximately 10 a.m. local time and involved a 45-year-old man, per police.
Credit: Syaiful Redzuan/Anadolu via Getty
The man — whose identity has not been released at this time — was gored by a buffalo being prepared for a ritual sacrifice. He was transported to Sultanah Aminah Hospital for treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries later that evening.
Graphic footage of the incident shared by AsiaOne shows people in a picnic area running and yelling in fear as a buffalo runs loose in the area. The animal can then be seen rushing a man and throwing him into the air. Villagers rush in to aid the man as the buffalo takes off in a different direction.
The man's official cause of death was listed as “Injury to the blood vessels (vascular system) of the left leg,” per police.
The death is not being treated as criminal in nature.
While speaking to The Straits Times, the victim's niece, who wished to be identified only as Mira, said that the family was gathered together for the holiday during the moment of the attack.
"At the time of the incident, some family members were eating while others were washing dishes. The deceased and several others were trying to tie up the buffalo,” she said, per the outlet. "The buffalo suddenly became agitated, turned around and gored him in the thigh, tearing his trousers up to the upper part."
The woman also said that her uncle was able to walk to a vehicle and crawl into the back following the attack, despite having lost a significant amount of blood, per The Straits Times.
She added that people in their village are still in shock over the death of the father of three.
Police say that a second attack occurred in another area of the state the same day at approximately 2 p.m local time, per the media release.
The victim, whose identity has not been shared publicly, was also a 45-year-old man. He suffered a fractured left rib cage after being gored by a buffalo and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
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Eid al-Adha is one of the holiest days in Islam and commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God before God provided an animal to sacrifice instead.
As part of the observance, many Muslims throughout the world sacrifice livestock such as sheep, goats, cows or buffaloes, with the meat often shared among the community and those in need.