A group of people carrying a portable shrine during an annual fall festival in the city of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, on Sunday lost their balance and fell atop one another, injuring 26 people, police said. Of the injured, two of the carriers were seriously injured. One of the two, a 35-year-old man, broke his spine, they said.

According to investigations, the accident occurred at around 6:40 a.m. in the Dogo Onsen hot spa district, during the highlight of the festival, the "kenka mikoshi," an event in which portable shrines weighing roughly 500 kg are rammed together by bearers in various parts of the city.

Each of the shrines has about 40 bearers, and during a collision some of them lost their balance, causing dozens of people to topple over each other. Some 4,000 people were on hand to see the event, and a few spectators were among the injured, police said.

In addition to this accident, seven people have been injured during the festival, which began Friday and ended Sunday.