Mumbai: A tragic accident marred early festival preparations in south Mumbai on Saturday night when a towering Lord Ganesh idol collapsed during its welcome procession, killing two men and injuring five others, including two young children. The incident occurred around 10:00 PM along Balaram Merchant Road near the Kabutarkhana intersection at Jay Ambe Chowk in Bhuleshwar.
The large idol, known locally as “Bhuleshwaracha Raja,” was being transported through the streets amid customary arrival celebrations when it suddenly tipped and crashed down onto accompanying devotees. First responders from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, local police, and civic ward teams rushed to the scene to carry out emergency rescue operations and transport the victims to nearby medical facilities.
Hospital authorities confirmed that Sanket Nevshe, 33, and Brijesh Hemant Joshi, 30, succumbed to their injuries shortly after arrival. The five surviving victims—identified as Vaibhav Ghenand, 38; Pawan Chaurasiya, 25; Kunal Kashid, 26; and two young girls, Lavanya Ganer, 5, and Divya Ganer, 7—continue to receive medical care and are listed in stable condition.
The annual 10-day Ganeshotsav festival, scheduled to commence on September 14, draws massive crowds across Maharashtra as community groups transport large, elaborate clay idols to pandals with grand processions in the weeks leading up to the main celebrations.
