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Religion
Helium Balloons Detonate, 4 Injured at Velankanni St. Mary's Nativity Festival
✍️ TOI City
🗓 30 Aug 2026, 07:18 AM
👁 57
During the annual St. Mary's Nativity festival in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu, four devotees were injured when helium balloons exploded near the church.
The St. Mary's Nativity festival began with a flag‑hoisting ceremony and a procession around the church. While devotees gathered, helium balloons released for the celebration burst near the shrine, injuring four worshippers. Medical teams attended to the injured, who suffered burns and minor injuries. The eleven‑day festival will continue with special masses and a holy car procession, drawing an estimated one million devotees.