Two Dead, Five Injured as Ganesh Idol Falls During Procession in Bhuleshwar

Two people died and five others sustained injuries after a Ganesh idol lost its balance and collapsed on devotees during an arrival procession in Mumbai's Bhuleshwar neighbourhood late Saturday night.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Disaster Management Cell, the incident occurred at around 9:50 pm near Kabutarkhana at Jay Ambe Chowk on Balaram Merchant Road. Devotees were carrying the idol of Bhuleshwarcha Raja during its Aagman procession when the massive structure became difficult to handle and suddenly tilted over into the crowd.

The collapse triggered immediate panic as the idol trapped several people underneath. Bystanders and fellow devotees rushed forward in desperate attempts to lift the heavy structure and pull out those caught beneath it. Emergency services were alerted soon after, and responders transported the injured to nearby medical facilities.

Two men succumbed to their injuries. Sanket Nevshe, 33, was declared brought dead upon arrival at Reliance Hospital, while 30-year-old Brijesh Hemant Joshi was declared brought dead at GT Hospital.

Five other devotees sustained injuries and were admitted across two civic hospitals. At GT Hospital, Vaibhav Ghenand, 38, and Pawan Chaurasiya, 25, were admitted and reported to be in stable condition. Three others, identified as five-year-old Lavanya Ganer, seven-year-old Divya Ganer, and 26-year-old Kunal Kashid, were admitted to JJ Hospital, where medical staff also confirmed their conditions were stable. No casualties were reported at Saifee Hospital.

The tragedy took place during the annual Ganesh Aagman celebrations, when large gatherings assemble in streets across the city to welcome community idols ahead of the festival. Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances leading to the idol losing balance and assess whether adequate safety measures were in place during the procession.