At least nine people drowned, while 12 others remain missing in Ganpati idol immersion-related incidents in Nashik, Jalgaon, Nanded, Pune and Thane districts since Saturday, news agency PTI reported.
Pune district has confirmed three deaths, Nashik and Thane have reported two deaths each, while Washim and Amravati one each.
Three people from Pune, who were swept away, remain missing. Additionally, two people each from Nashik, Jalgaon, Nanded and one from Thane and Washim each are unaccounted for.
Incidents in Nashik and Jalgaon
In north Maharashtra, a total of seven people were swept away in rivers and water bodies during the Ganpati visarjan processions.
This includes two in Nashik city, three from rural Nashik, and two from Jalgaon. So far, only two bodies have been recovered, while search teams are still looking for the others.
In Nashik city, 29-year-old Chandar Malekar drowned in an abandoned quarry near Dindori Road. The quarry was not an authorised immersion site, but some devotees still went there for visarjan. Malekar dived into the water and did not come up. Despite rescue attempts, he was declared dead at Nashik Civil Hospital.
Another incident in Nashik claimed the life of Dinesh Rajbhoj (39) from Desrane village, who drowned in the Punad river.
His body was recovered. Meanwhile, three other men, Pravin Chavan, Omprakash Lilhare, and Vishnu Dagle, are still missing after entering different rivers and dams in the district.
In Jalgaon, two men, Ganesh Koli (27) and Rahul Sonar (35), went missing during idol immersion. Search operations are ongoing, but the men had not been found till Sunday evening.
A similar accident took place in Dhule, where a fisherman fell into the Tapi river while helping with idol immersion. However, he was rescued in time and is being treated in hospital.
Tragedy in Nanded
In Nanded, three youths from Gadegaon village were swept away in the Asana river on Saturday evening. Locals managed to save one of them, Shailesh Ubale (22), but the other two, Balaji Ubale (20) and Yogesh Ubale (19), are still missing.
Officials said the group went to a non-designated immersion point where the river water was deep and flowing heavily due to recent rains.
Despite quick rescue efforts by locals, the two youths were carried away. Search teams of the SDRF and disaster management department, along with villagers, continued operations through Saturday night and Sunday, but without success.
Pune reports six drowning cases
Pune district reported six drowning cases during Ganpati visarjan, with three confirmed deaths and three still missing.
In Khed taluka, incidents were reported at Waki-Budurk, Shel Pimpalgaon, and Biradwadi. Anand Jaiswal (28) drowned in the Bhama River and his body has been recovered.
Another youth, Abhishek Bhakare (21), is still missing. Ravindra Chaudhari (45) also drowned in the Bhama River, and his body was found on Sunday. At Biradwadi, Sandshi Nikam (35) accidentally fell into a well during immersion and drowned.
Elsewhere in Pune district, Ashok Gadge (26) went missing in the Kukadi river at Junnar taluka, while Bhimrao Cherale (30) was swept away in the Bhima River in Shikrapur. Search efforts are still underway.
Deaths in Thane and Mumbai
In Thane’s Shahapur taluka, three devotees were swept away in the Bharangi river during idol immersion. Two bodies were recovered, while one person is still missing.
Meanwhile in Mumbai, one person died and five others were injured in a separate incident during a Ganpati procession at Saki Naka in Andheri. They came in contact with live electric wires, leading to the tragedy.
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