Two dead as Ganpati idol falls during procession in Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 23 (IANS) In a tragic incident ahead of the 'Ganesh Chaturthi' festival celebrations, two people were crushed to death, and five others, including two children, suffered injuries after a 22-foot idol of Lord Ganesh fell on them during the arrival ceremony of the 'Bhuleshwaracha Raja' in south Mumbai. 

The incident took place between 10:00 and 10:30 p.m Saturday, following which a fire brigade team, officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and the Mumbai Police arrived at the scene.

According to preliminary information reported by NDTV, the idol fell due to some loose nuts and bolts in its frame.

Officials said that the victims were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, where doctors declared two of them dead.

The two deceased have been identified as Sanket Nevshe and Brijesh Hemant Joshi.

The rest of the five injured people have been identified as Vaibhav Ghenand (38), Pawan Chaurasia (25) Lavanya Ganer (5), Divya Ganer (7), and Kunal Kashid (26), who are undergoing treatment in two different hospitals.

Describing the incident, an elderly eyewitness said: "First, the hand of the idol broke, my grandson was sitting near its leg but he moved aside in time. It is being said that the idol weighed around 3000 kg."

"(Brijesh) Joshi, who lived in our building, was crushed under the idol. My son and others brought him out with great difficulty and took him to the hospital where he was declared dead," he added.

The senior citizen attributed the reason for the tragedy to damaged roads in the area.

Rakesh Chauhan, another local, said that people had gathered in the area for the arrival of Lord Ganesh and everyone was dancing with joy when the tragedy took place.

"We didn't realise what suddenly happened," he said.

'Ganeshotsav' is one of the biggest and most widely celebrated festivals in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.

The 11-day Ganeshotsava celebration is slated to begin on September 14 this year. During the festivities, beautifully crafted idols of Lord Ganesha are installed in homes and public pandals decorated with flowers, lights, and modaks.

During the celebrations, devotees also perform an arrival ceremony of the deity to worship him. Mumbai's tallest Ganesh idol is the 'Mumbaicha Raja', standing at approximately 45 to 47 feet.

--IANS

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