Ganesh Visarjan: 5 saved from drowning in Mumbai, 11 drown across Maharashtra
5 people were saved from drowning in Mumbai, while 11 drowned during Ganesh immersion in the rest of Maharashtra
Lakhs of devotees thronged rivers and lakes across Mumbai and Maharashtra to immerse Ganesh idols on Sunday, which marked the culmination of the 11-day festival.
The festival, which began on Ganesh Chaturthi on September 13, concluded yesterday on the occasion of ‘Anant Chaturdashi’.
In Mumbai, processions carrying huge idols of the God on decorated trucks, accompanied by thousands of devotees and troupes of drummers, continued till early morning.
5 persons saved from drowning in Mumbai
At least five persons were saved from drowning at Mumbai’s Girgaon Chowpatty when their boat capsized in the Arabian Sea.
The boat was carrying devotees who had allegedly come to bid farewell to Lalbaugcha Raja early morning today.
As the idol was being taken into the sea, scores of people on tight-knit boats were busy watching the proceedings when two of them brushed up against each other, causing one to capsize and its occupants to fall in the sea.
Some, who knew swimming, managed to pull themselves up and held on to the other boats, while others were rescued by onlookers. Moments later, Mumbai Fire Brigade officials reached and rushed the victims to the shore.
Five of them were rushed to Nair Hospital for treatment. They included a woman and a 5-year-old kid, who were treated for breathlessness, and two men who were treated for leg and neck injuries. All five are currently out of danger.
11 down during immersion in Maharashtra
At least 11 people drowned in various parts of the state during immersion of Ganesh idols till 10 pm Sunday.
According to the Director General of Police’s Control Room, Raigad and Jalna reported three drownings each while Satara and Bhandara witnessed two drownings each and one person died in Pimpri Chinchwad.
Mumbai did not report any such incident till late evening Sunday, the control room official added.
The immersion processions were marred by unruly incidents in cities like Nashik, Pune, and Kolhapur, mostly due to arguments over the use of hi-tech sound-amplifying systems.
The Bombay High Court order banning their use was only partially successful in Mumbai, where violations were reported in almost every major area.
