Three children drown during Ganesh immersion in Pimpri

According to the Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissionerate, the three deceased children, Ganesh Chakkar (9); Sumit Pabale (11) and Vaibhav Pabale (11), all residents of Junnar, were in the pond along with two other children during the immersion procession at around 2.50 pm

Three children drowned during the Ganesh immersion procession at the Kaval Pimpri pond in Junnar on Sunday. In Maharashtra, a total of 18 people drowned during the immersion of Ganesh idols.

A man immerses a Ganesh idol near Garware college in Pune on Sunday. In Maharashtra, a total of 18 people drowned during the immersion of Ganesh idols. (Sanket Wankhade/HT PHOTO)

According to the Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissionerate, the three deceased children, Ganesh Chakkar (9); Sumit Pabale (11) and Vaibhav Pabale (11), all residents of Junnar, were in the pond along with two other children during the immersion procession at around 2.50 pm. Around 3 pm, onlookers upon hearing cries for help rushed to save the children. Unfortunately, out of the five children, three died and two have been admitted to a hospital for further treatment.

While public Ganesh mandals took their idols to river ghats for immersion, families took their idols to artificial ponds set up by the civic body.

Around 43,123 idols were donated to Tata Motors, DY Patil University in association with Sanskar Pratishthan on Sunday. Along with this, around 35 tonnes of nirmalya was collected from devotees and given for composting to the civic body.