At least 52 people were killed and over 40 injured in a major blaze at a marriage ceremony at Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, on Friday morning, police and fire brigade sources told PTI. The dead included the bridegroom

The fire, which broke out at a marriage hall on the busy EVS Street at Rangarajapuram in the temple town of Srirangam, has been brought under control, the fire brigade sources said.    

Fire service personnel were engaged in removing the bodies of the victims, they said.  The fire broke out due to short circuit in the serial light wiring, which was put up on the thatched roof of the hall on the first floor, police and fire department sources said. Earlier reports said the roof caught fire when camphor was burnt in the hall.

Fire tenders from different parts of the city rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control, they added.

Police said many deaths were due to stampede as people who had gathered for the Muhartham (auspicious time for the wedding) ran in panic to get out of the hall.

The injured persons were rushed to Srirangam and Tiruchirapalli government hospitals. The bride was saved by one of her relatives, they said.

The first floor of the hall was completely destroyed in the fire. According to a witness, the fire broke out due to short circuit when a video crew was fixing a plug for the focus light. The plug burst and the pandal caught fire due to the sparks, he said.