The Indian state of Maharashtra experienced moments of terror after a statue of "Lord Ganesh" fell onto several participants in a religious procession amid heavy rain and strong winds in the city of Nalasopara. Another statue fell during a welcoming procession in the Bhayandar area, just before the celebrations of "Ganesh Chaturthi," one of the largest Hindu festivals in the state.
Members of the celebration committee were transporting the Ganesh statue on a cart from the workshop to the celebration site when the rain intensified and strong winds blew in Nalasopara. While attempting to cover it with a plastic sheet for protection, the statue lost its balance and fell onto the surrounding participants.
Circulating clips from the scene showed moments of chaos and screams following the statue's fall, as several people were trapped underneath it, before participants and local residents hurried to rescue them. Initial reports indicated that some individuals were injured, but no fatalities were reported.
In a similar incident in the Bhayandar area, another Ganesh statue fell while being transported to the celebration site, losing its balance, which led to its damage and injured a young man who was standing nearby taking photos.
Collapse of a Shiva Temple
The two incidents coincided with noticeable monsoon activity in parts of Maharashtra ahead of the celebrations, with heavy rainfall and strong winds affecting the transportation of Ganesh statues and festival preparations in areas of Mumbai and its suburbs.
This rainy weather comes at a time when other regions of India are facing the aftermath of floods and riverbank erosion; in West Bengal, a historic Shiva temple on the banks of the Ganges collapsed after floods and bank erosion weakened its location.