Maharashtra: 24-Hour Route Safety Check Ordered After Ganesh Idol Collapse Kills 2
The incident occurred around 10 pm on Saturday on Balaram Merchant Road near Kabutarkhana at Jay Ambe Chowk in Bhuleshwar in south Mumbai: Reports
MUMBAI: In a shocking incident, two people were killed and several injured when a 22-foot Ganesh idol of ‘Bhuleshwaracha Raja’ fell during its arrival ceremony in Mumbai on Saturday night. Taking a serious note of the mishap, the Maharashtra Government has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to immediately inspect the Ganesh idol arrival routes across Mumbai.
The incident occurred around 10 pm on Saturday on Balaram Merchant Road near Kabutarkhana at Jay Ambe Chowk in Bhuleshwar in south Mumbai.
According to police, a preliminary investigation suggested that the welding support at the back of the idol broke, causing it to fall towards the front side. Several injured persons were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals, where two of them succumbed.
The deceased have been identified as Sanket Nevshe (33), president of the Bhuleshwarcha Raja Ganesh Mandal, and Brijesh Joshi (30).
The ‘Bhuleshwarcha Raja’ Mandal is entering its 63rd year and this year, the idol’s design was based on a Thailand theme. The 22-foot-tall idol was crafted at the Byculla workshop of renowned sculptor Aniket Desai. A large crowd had gathered for the arrival procession to witness the Ganesh idol, which was depicted seated atop a dragon.
The arrival procession began on Saturday, moving from the Byculla workshop towards Bhuleshwar. The idol had reached just 50 meters away from the pandal, when the incident occurred.
Calling the incident ‘deeply distressing and painful,’ State Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar directed the BMC to inspect the Ganesh idol arrival routes within 24 hours.
“To prevent such accidents in the future, Ganesh mandals, BMC authorities and the police machinery must work in coordination. The BMC has been directed to immediately inspect the condition of the routes used for Ganesh idol arrivals across Mumbai. Instructions have been issued to take immediate action within the next 24 hours regarding the condition of roads along these routes, necessary repairs and safety measures,” Shelar said.
The police are investigating the case and determining who was at fault and what exactly caused the accident is a matter for the inquiry. If any administrative lapse is found, no one responsible will be spared, he added.
Shelar also announced financial assistance of Rs five lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs one lakh each to the five injured.
Following the tragic incident, the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS) – the umbrella organization of Ganpati mandals in the city – has urged all Mandals to conduct the idol arrival events simply this year. The committee has appealed Mandals to welcome the deity without loud music bands, boisterous celebrations or unnecessary crowds and to express condolences for the volunteers who lost their lives in the Bhuleshwar tragedy, said the BSGSS president Naresh Dahibawkar.
The 10-day Ganeshotsav, which begins on September 14 this year, is one of the biggest and most widely celebrated annual festivals in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.
