At least 18 people were injured when clashes between two communities turned violent at Bhensi village under Khatoli police station in the district, PTI reported. The skirmish, involving fire arms and stones, erupted on Thursday evening when children from one community allegedly started bursting crackers in front of the houses of families from another community. Some of the injured admitted to the hospital are in serious condition, according to the police, who did not specify the identities of the two groups.

Senior officers rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control, the police added. Security has been tightened in the village and extra forces have been deployed in the area. Muzaffarnagar is a communally sensitive area, have been a witness to Hindu-Muslim riots in 2013, which resulted in at least 62 deaths and leaving thousands displaced. At the time, the army was sent in to contain the violence and curfew clamped on certain areas.