19 dead in Maharashtra during immersion of Ganesh idols

At least 20 persons died, 14 of them due to drowning, in different incidents that occurred during the immersion of Ganesh idols in parts of Maharashtra, police said on Saturday. The 10-day Ganesh festival, which had started on August 31, ended on Friday. In Wardha district, three persons drowned at Sawangi, while another one died in a similar manner at Devli, an official said. Two persons drowned in a pond in Yavatmal district when during the immersion of an idol, he said.

In Ahmednagar district, two persons drowned in separate incidents at Supa and Belvandi, he said, adding that two others died in Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra - one each at Chalisgaon and Jamner. One person each died at Ghodegaon and Yavat in Pune district, in Dhule district, Lonikand in Satara district and Solapur city, he said. Four persons died in a road accident at Sakkardara area of Nagpur city.

In Thane, a 55-year-old woman was killed and four others injured after a tree collapsed on a Ganesh pandal in Kolbad area due to heavy rains. The incident occurred on Friday night, a civic official said. "A huge tree fell on the pandal while the 'aarti' of Lord Ganesh idol was on as part ahead of its immersion. The woman, Rajashri Walavalkar, was seriously injured in the mishap. She and other injured were rushed to a hospital, where she was declared brought dead," the official said.