Mumbai, Sep 20 — A tragic incident marred the Ganesh festival celebrations in Mumbai’s Lalbaug area after an electric shock near the pandal left two people dead and four others injured early on Sunday, officials said.
An 8-year-old girl died in the incident, while four others sustained serious injuries. A second death was reported later, when officials said a woman at Global Hospital had also succumbed to her injuries.
According to preliminary information from the fire brigade, the incident occurred at around 2 a.m. on Sunday when devotees were present near the pandal.
Two boys and three girls, aged between 8 and 20, reportedly came into contact with the electrical current and suffered burn injuries.
Following the incident, all five victims were rushed to Masina Hospital in Byculla for treatment. Doctors declared the 8-year-old girl Raghni Ghanshyam Yadav dead upon arrival.
Kiran Akbar Naik, 19, Tanvi Narsh Hande, 19, Sahil Sandip Tare, 19, and Ruhi Singh, 12, were undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the incident.
Meanwhile, a second victim, a woman who was admitted to Global Hospital in Parel, later succumbed to her injuries. Her identity was yet to be ascertained.
Among the injured, one girl was reportedly in critical condition and was shifted to Global Hospital in Parel for further treatment. The remaining three injured victims are undergoing treatment at Masina Hospital and have been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), where their condition remains serious.
The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the festive celebrations in the Kalachowki area.
Further details on the circumstances that led to the electrical current spreading are awaited.