Twenty-two people had a close shave during Ganapati immersion in two separate incidents, while a three-year-old boy went missing on Monday. While five people were rescued from drowning by the Mumbai Fire Brigade at Girgaum Chowpatty, 17 others were injured in Charkop when a Ganesha idol fell on them.
The five people were among 40 occupants of a boat at Girgaum. Hundreds of devotees had thronged the beach on Monday morning to catch a final glimpse of the Lalbaugacha Raja idol, whose immersion procession concluded almost 20 hours after starting on Sunday. While the idol was being taken into the sea, one of the boats overturned, around 9.30 a.m. Six of its occupants, Kajal Meyor (31), Avani (5), Anita (16), Adnan Khan (15), Nilesh Bhoir (18) and Sahyesh Marde (3), started drowning.
“Our teams were at Chowpatty 24x7 during Ganeshotsav. We heard the commotion and used the standard protocol, wherein one jet ski and boat were taken right to the spot on either side. Our divers rescued the drowning people from under the boat in around two minutes,” S.D. Sawant, head of the fire brigade’s flood rescue teams, said.
Ganesha idols being immersed at Girgaum Chowpatty. | Photo Credit: Prashant Nakwe
People from other boats also jumped in the water to help. Five of the victims were taken to Nair Hospital, but three-year-old Sahyesh, who was put on another boat, could not be found later. “The search is on for him,” senior police inspector Suryakant Bangar of DB Marg police station said.
The fire brigade’s flood rescue team had deployed two jet skis, boats and ambulances each on Girgaum Chowpatty and 62 lifeguards were manning it in shifts for the past 11 days.
Accident at Charkop
In the second incident, 17 people were injured when a Ganesha idol fell on them during immersion at Charkop early on Monday. They were taken to a private hospital where they are reportedly stable.
Around 12.45 a.m., some Charkop residents were taking a 15 to 20-feet-tall idol to Marve beach for immersion via Old Link Road on a forklift. “There were a few people on the forklift, and they would lower the lift as more devotees would come to offer prayers, and pull it up again. In the process, the idol fell on the people,” Pramod Dhaware, senior police inspector of Charkop police station, said.
Thirteen people were rushed to Oscar Hospital in Kandivali. Doctors said one person was treated in out-patient department, while 12 others were admitted. By Monday night, nine patients had been discharged after treatment for bruises and minor fractures. “The rest have been admitted for head injuries and fractures. All patients are stable,” said a source from the hospital.
“We have booked the lift operator for endangering life and causing injury due to negligence under the Indian Penal Code. We are yet to make an arrest,” Mr. Dhaware said.
The broken pieces of the idol were collected and immersed in the sea.