A WOMAN has died after she fell headfirst into a boiling pot of stew being prepared for a Hindu festival.
The 46-year-old and another woman were carrying the gigantic vessel of sambar, a south Indian lentil stew, when the tragedy unfolded.
As they set it down, the woman, identified as Sujatha, suddenly stumbled and plunged into the pot.
The other woman grabbed Sujatha by the legs and pulled her from the vessel, before she collapsed to the floor.
Others in the food preparation area screamed in horror, and rushed to assist her.
The horrifying incident on Sunday was captured on CCTV in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
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Sujatha suffered severe burns and was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.
She succumbed to her injuries and died the next morning.
Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident.
Sujatha had been helping to prepare food for worshippers and local residents as part of the celebrations.
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The festival was being held in honour of the Hindu elephant-headed god, Ganesha.
The death is currently being treated by authorities as an accident.
In 2019, two children died in separate incidents during which they fell into stew pots and suffered burns in India.
One incident saw a three-year-old boy fall in to a pot of sambar at a family party.
The other incident resulted in the death of a six-year-old after he fell into a pot of sambar at a school.