Mumbai (Gurpreet Singh): A celebratory procession in south Mumbai turned fatal late Saturday evening when a massive Lord Ganesh idol toppled onto a crowd of devotees, killing two men and injuring five others, including two young children. The mishap took place around 10:00 PM along Balaram Merchant Road near Jay Ambe Chowk in the Bhuleshwar neighbourhood.
The towering sculpture, known as “Bhuleshwaracha Raja,” was being guided through the streets during its ceremonial arrival ahead of the annual festival when it suddenly destabilized and crashed into the accompanying gathering. Municipal authorities, local police, and emergency responders quickly deployed to the site to clear the debris and transport the victims to nearby medical facilities.
Civic officials confirmed that 33-year-old Sanket Nevshe and 30-year-old Brijesh Hemant Joshi died from their injuries shortly after reaching the hospital. The five surviving victims—identified as Vaibhav Ghenand, Pawan Chaurasiya, Kunal Kashid, and sisters Lavanya and Divya Ganer, aged five and seven—remain under medical care and are reported to be in stable condition.
The tragedy occurred during early preparations for the ten-day Ganeshotsav festival, which begins across Maharashtra on September 14, a period during which neighbourhood associations routinely organize large-scale street processions to escort ornate idols to their community pandals.
