Two die, including 8-year-old girl, in electrocution at Mumbai Ganeshotsav pandal

A tragic accident cast a shadow over Ganeshotsav celebrations in Mumbai's Kalachowki area, where two people, including an 8-year-old girl, died after being electrocuted at the Kalachowki Maha Ganpati pandal in Lalbaug. The incident took place at around 2:30 am. Four people were also injured, three of whom are being treated in the ICU.

According to reports, the electrocution occurred around midnight near the Kalachowki Vibhag Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal on Dattaram Lad Marg in Kalachowki. A large crowd of devotees had gathered in the Lalbaug area for Ganeshotsav, and the accident amid this crowd caused panic in the vicinity.

The injured were rushed to hospital immediately after the electrocution. There was some chaos around the pandal following the incident. Doctors are treating the injured, and three of them are said to be in a serious condition.

An 8-year-old girl named Ragini Ghanshyam Yadav died in the accident, leaving her family devastated.

Kiran Akbar Naik, Tanmayi Naresh Hande, Sahil Sandeep Tare and Ruhi Singh were also injured. The injured are reported to be between 12 and 19 years old. All of them have been admitted to hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, another woman injured in the accident died during treatment at Global Hospital, taking the death toll in the incident to two.

The girl's relatives said they had come for darshan of the Ganpati idol at around 2 am. Due to the heavy crowd in the area, they had decided to head back. While exiting the darshan queue, they had stopped near a shop beside the pandal, standing aside to let other devotees in the queue pass. Lights had been installed at that spot, and according to the family, that is where the electrocution occurred.

The accident has once again brought up the issue of electrical arrangements and the safety of devotees at Ganeshotsav pandals. The girl's relatives said greater care needs to be taken while setting up electrical arrangements at pandals.

"You install the Ganpati idol, but safety is not taken care of," the relatives said, expressing their anger. They said it was difficult to put into words the pain of losing their child.

During Ganeshotsav, large numbers of devotees gather at public Ganpati pandals across Mumbai, making it essential to ensure proper safety of electrical wiring, equipment installed at pandals, and crowded areas. The Kalachowki accident has once again raised questions about the safety arrangements of Ganeshotsav mandals.