2 dead, 4 injured after electrocution near Ganesh pandal in Mumbai

An eight-year-old girl and a woman were killed, while four others were injured after suffering electric shocks at a temporary drinking water stall near a Ganesh pandal in Mumbai's Lalbaug area early on Sunday, officials said.

The incident occurred apparently after a short circuit near the entrance gate of the Mahaganpati Utsav Mandal in Digvijay Mill Chawl (row tenement) on Dattaram Lad Marg in Kalachowki at 2.20 am, when the area was witnessing massive crowds during the ongoing Ganesh festival, they said.

Electric current was detected at a temporary drinking water and cold drink stall erected near the pandal entrance, the officials said.

Following the incident, fire brigade personnel immediately switched off the power supply at the spot, and the area was cordoned off as a precautionary measure.

Six persons who suffered electric shocks were rushed to nearby hospitals, where two of them were declared dead, the officials said.

A girl, identified as Raghini Ghanshyam Yadav (8), was declared brought dead at Masina Hospital in Byculla. Three others -- Kiran Akbar Naik (19), Tanvi Naresh Hande (19), and Sahil Sandip Tare (19) -- were undergoing treatment at the hospital, and their condition was reported to be stable, a civic official said.

Two other persons were taken to Global Hospital in Parel, where a woman, identified as Sujata (33), was declared brought dead. A minor girl, Ruhi Singh (12), was in a critical condition and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the official said.

Officials from the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking conducted a site inspection at the chawl, which indicated that a temporary electric meter was installed for illumination of the Ganesh festival celebration and the cold drink stall. Its wiring and MCB (miniature circuit breaker) were disconnected by a local electrician, officials said.

Power supply at the site remained partially cut off. A BEST fuseman and meter inspector assisted in the probe.

The Kalachowki police have initiated a detailed investigation into the incident to ascertain the cause of the short circuit, the officials added.