7-Yr-Old Boy Dies During Dahi Handi Celebration in Mumbai
According to preliminary information from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a group of children had organised a Dahi Handi celebration on their own.
Mumbai:At least one child died and over 100 were injured during Dahi Handi celebrations across Mumbai and neighbouring areas on Saturday, as thousands of Govindas took part in festivities marked by colourful processions, music and towering human pyramids.
A seven-year-old boy died after a brick column of a ground-floor structure collapsed on him during a Dahi Handi celebration in Malad on Saturday afternoon. The incident was reported at around 3.01 pm at Ekta Welfare Society, Room No. 23, Chikuwadi, Malvani, on Marve Road in Malad West.
According to preliminary information from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a group of children had organised a Dahi Handi celebration on their own. The rope holding the handi had been tied between a tree and a brick column supporting a ground-floor structure. While the children were attempting to break the handi, the column collapsed and fell on the boy.
The child suffered a serious head injury and was immediately rushed to Malvani General Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment.
In a separate Dahi Handi-related incident in Pune, a woman was crushed to death after a temporary iron structure erected to support a stack of loudspeakers collapsed on her on Friday night, officials said.
The deceased was identified as Salma Salauddin Pathan, a resident of Old Sangavi in Pimpri Chinchwad. Police said workers were dismantling the iron frame after a Dahi Handi event organised by the Vighnaharta Mandal had concluded when a heavy portion of the structure fell on Pathan. She suffered a serious head injury and was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Pathan’s son was an office-bearer of the organising mandal. Her family declined to lodge a complaint against the organisers and requested police not to register a case on their own, police said. An accidental death report has been registered, and police are investigating the collapse of the structure.
Meanwhile, at least 130 Govindas were injured while forming human pyramids during the celebrations — 118 in Mumbai and 12 in neighbouring Thane city.
Dahi Handi celebrations were held with great fervour across Mumbai, Thane and Pune, with political leaders, including those from the Shiv Sena and BJP, organising events at various venues. All-women Govinda troupes also drew attention for their participation in the festivities.
Actor Suniel Shetty attended a Dahi Handi celebration in Thane on Saturday. While praising Govinda teams aiming to set records, Shetty urged participants to prioritise safety and cooperation to minimise the risk of injuries while forming human pyramids.
Actor Sanjay Dutt attended a Dahi Handi celebration in Magathane, Borivali East, organised by Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik. Other Bollywood celebrities who attended celebrations at various venues across Mumbai included actors Govinda, Randeep Hooda, Riteish Deshmukh and his wife Genelia, Veer Pahariya, as well as cricketer Suryakumar Yadav.
