A man died after being slashed by a razor attached to a rooster during a cock fight in India, the local media has reported.

The 55-year-old man was accidentally killed after a sharp blade tied to a rooster cut his abdomen in an incident which reportedly happened on Sunday.

The organisers tied the razor-sharp blade to the leg of the rooster, police said.

The victim, who was one of the organisers was holding the animal in his hands, waiting to release it into the arena to fight.

But the rooster struggled for freedom, and the blade fatally pierced the abdomen of the spectator, inflicting a deep wound which killed him.

In India, cockfighting is part of celebrations for Makar Sankranti, a festival day in the Hindu calendar, dedicated to the deity Surya.

Makar Sankranti was this year celebrated on Wednesday, January 15.

Cockfights were outlawed in India in 1960, but remain popular in some parts of the country, according to media reports.

The contests attract a large amount of gambling activity and the high stakes encourage breeders to spend big on raising winning fowl.

Fighters groom birds in the country, feeding them protein-rich diets and giving them steroids so they grow large and can cause more damage in the cock-fighting ring.