10-Year-Old Boy Drowns During Immersion Of Ganesh Idols In Ashta

Ashta (Madhya Pradesh): A ten-year-old boy drowned in the Popnus River near Harrajkhedi village during the immersion ceremony of Ganesh idols on Saturday.

According to reports, three children aged ten to 12 years, fell into the Papnash River when an idol of Ganesh was immersed. The village guard, on duty on the banks of the river Man Singh saved two children, but the third one identified as Bunty drowned.

Just before the incident, the guard showed away the three children from the river bank, but they did not listen to him. The villagers launched a search for the body of the boy. A team of SDERF was also pressed into service to search for the body.

The idols of Ganesh carried by trucks, trolleys, and small vehicles to the water bodies in Ashta were immersed on Saturday. Over 110 idols were installed in different pandals in the city during the Ganesh festival.

All idols were immersed in the Sarvadharma Kund where the district administration made elaborate security arrangements. Children were not allowed inside the Kund. Small idols were taken to the river on boats. The bigger ones were immersed with the help of crane.

Most of the idols were immersed in the Sarvadharma Kund and Kala Talab (lake). The district administration made elaborate arrangements for the immersion ceremony. Besides policemen, several divers were put on duty near the Kund.