More than 400 hurt in Turkey while sacrificing cattle

Several faithful rushed to hospitals with knife cuts to their hands after they took to slaughtering animals themselves rather than finding a butcher to do the job.

Others came in with concussion and fractures to their arms and legs after they were kicked by panicked animals, the report said.

Most of the amateur butchers were discharged, it added.

In predominantly Muslim but strictly secular Turkey, the authorities set up special abattoirs with professional butchers and ambulances for Eid-ul-Azha, in a bid to stop people from slaughtering their animals anywhere they wanted.

But many still preferred to carry out their religious duty personally and slit the throat of the animals themselves, despite the risk of injury.