Pune: The Ganesh festivities turned into mourning for the family after one of the members died of burns as a fire broke at their house, decked with lighting strings and other decorations, in the early hours of Sunday.
The deceased has been identified as 35-year-old Vaibhav Jagannath Garud, who resided at Kharpudi Budruk, Dattanagar in Khed tehsil of Pune.
According to the Khed police, the family slept after the Ganesh Chaturthi rituals on Saturday night and short circuit in one of the electrical decorations placed on the deity’s idol could have caused the fire.
Neighbours alerted the police after seeing flames coming from Garud’s house. Firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene and controlled the blaze and provided medical assistance. Garud was rushed to a nearby hospital, but succumbed to burn injuries shortly after admission.
A case of accidental death has been reported at Khed police station.