MANILA: A jail official became the only fatality while more than 2,000 were injured in this year’s edition of the Black Nazarene religious festival that drew close to eight million Filipino devotee in Manila, police reported on Wednesday.

Police identified the fatality as Ramil dela Cruz, 51, a senior officer of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology who succumbed to cardiac arrest based on initial autopsy findings.

Police cited testimonies of the victim’s family and friends who said he had joined the annual procession without fail for the past 30 years as part of his “panata” (vow) to the image of Jesus Christ, more popularly known as the Black Nazarene based at the Catholic pro-cathedral at the Quiapo district in Manila.

“The victim had just touched the Black Nazarene carriage as it made its way inside the church when he experienced difficulty in breathing,” said the Reverend Douglas Badong of the Quiapo church.

Badong said Dela Cruz initially refused to be brought to the hospital but when he later agreed, it was already too late and was declared dead on arrival by attending physicians.

Police also reported that more than 2,000 devotees were treated for mostly minor injuries like abrasions, lacerations, sprains, dizziness and vomiting in the hundreds of first aid stations set up by the Philippine Red Cross and the Metro Manila Development Authority along the procession route.

Police explained the victims usually walked barefoot in joining the procession as they waved white handkerchiefs and towels as they continued to chant “Viva Nazareno” (Hail to the Black Nazarene in a massive display of faith and fervor for his reported miraculous powers.

Director Oscar Albayalde, the chief of the Philippine National Police Metro Manila regional command, said that on the whole, the procession which took about 22 hours, was peaceful and orderly when the image was brought back to the church at 1 am on Wednesday.

“The devotees are more orderly and more disciplined this year. It is an indication of their high discipline and the organisers, the police, the city departments have executed well-planned measures,” former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada pointed out.

But as before, officials lamented that the devotees left behind 375 tonnes of rubbish along the procession route that took about 75 dump trucks to take them away.