In a tragic incident, three young fans of KGF actor Yash lost their lives while setting up a 25-foot celebratory cutout ahead of the actor’s birthday in Suranga village, Gadag district. The incident occurred on Sunday night around 11 pm when the cutout accidentally came in contact with an electric wire. Three other individuals sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a district hospital.
Babasaheb Nemagouda, Superintendent of Police, Gadag, explained, “The banner they were holding had a metal frame. While erecting the flex, the frame came in touch with a HESCOM wire, which caused the mishap.”
Several actors, including Shivarajkumar, Darshan, Sudeep, Upendra, and Yash himself, have repeatedly urged fans to refrain from engaging in such festivities. The dangers and risks associated with erecting large cutouts, often done during birthdays or film releases, have been emphasized by these stars.
Yash, who was reportedly out of town with his family during his birthday, has cut short his vacation to visit the families of the victims in Gadag. While an official statement from the actor is awaited, he expressed regret on social media last week for not being able to meet his fans this year on his birthday.
This unfortunate incident adds to a series of similar events where fans lost their lives while celebrating their favorite stars. Notable cases include a Prabhas fan’s electric shock death while erecting a Salaar flexi in December 2023, Suriya’s fans dying of electrocution while putting up his banner in Andhra in July 2023, and a 19-year-old fan of actor Ajith falling to his death while dancing on a moving lorry in Chennai in January 2023.
Other incidents listed include fans of Pawan Kalyan and Prabhas dying of electrocution during banner-related activities in Andhra in September 2020 and August 2019, respectively. Additionally, in June 2015, a Sudeep fan was electrocuted in Shahapur while carrying the actor’s hoarding.
