Two people, including an eight-year-old girl, died and four others were injured after they suffered electric shocks near a Ganeshotsav pandal in Mumbai’s Kalachowki area early Sunday morning. The incident occurred amid large crowds gathered for the ongoing Ganesh festival.
The incident took place at around 2 am on September 20 near the entrance of the Mahaganpati Utsav Mandal on Dattaram Lad Marg. According to officials, electrical current was detected at a temporary drinking-water and cold-drink stall set up near the pandal.
Woman and Child Die
The victims were rushed to nearby hospitals following the incident. Eight-year-old Raghini Ghanshyam Yadav was declared dead at Masina Hospital, while Sujata, a woman in her 30s, was declared dead at Global Hospital.
Four others were hospitalised after being affected by the electric shock. Among them was a 12-year-old girl who was admitted to an ICU in critical condition. Three other injured people were reported to be in stable condition.
Electrical Current Detected at Temporary Stall
Officials said the incident apparently followed a short circuit near the pandal entrance. The Mumbai Fire Brigade responded, switched off the electrical supply and cordoned off the area as a precaution.
According to the Times of India, a temporary electricity meter had been installed to supply power to the Ganpati mandal's illumination and the cold-drink stall. BEST officials later inspected the electrical installation at the site.
Safety Arrangements Under Scrutiny
The incident has raised questions over electrical safety at temporary installations during large public festivals. A relative of the deceased eight-year-old girl alleged that adequate safety measures had not been maintained around the temporary electrical setup.
These allegations are part of the family's account and remain subject to investigation. Authorities have begun examining the electrical arrangements at the location to determine how the current reached the stall and whether any safety procedures were breached.
The tragedy has cast a shadow over Mumbai's Ganeshotsav celebrations, which attract thousands of devotees to pandals across the city.