Thousands of Indians swallow live fish to cure breathing problems in Hyderabad

An estimated 70,000 people received the treatment earlier this week

A man swallows a live fish in a procedure designed to cure breathing problems (Ruptly)

Thousands of Indians lined up in Hyderabad to swallow live fish in an attempt to treat asthma.

The fish measuring up to 5cm is stuffed in a yellow herbal paste, forced down the mouth of the ‘patient’ and swallowed whole. The rancid fish smell requires noses to be pinched to ensure the mixture is not spat out.

The treatment is administered by the Bathini Gould family who claim to use a secret formula of herbs that was originally passed down by a Hindu sage in 1845.

The procedure takes place once a year over a two-day period, the specific dates of which are determined by astrology.