7-year-old dies during ‘Dahi Handi’ celebration in Mumbai, 118 ‘govindas’ injured
Mumbai, Sep 5 (IANS) The traditional ‘Dahi Handi’ celebration in Mumbai turned tragic on Saturday after a seven-year-old boy lost his life while at least 118 ‘govindas’ (refers to the participants who form human pyramids to reach and break a suspended earthen pot during the festival of Dahi Handi) suffered injuries in separate incidents across the city, officials said.
The annual ‘Dahi Handi’ celebration is organised a day after the Janmashtami festival, that marks the birth of Lord Krishna.
During one such celebration in Malad West area of Mumbai, a seven-year-old boy was crushed to death after a brick column of a ground-floor structure collapsed on him.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a group of children in the area were celebrating ‘Dahi Handi’ on their own. The rope of the ‘handi’ (earthen pot) was tied between a tree and brick column of a ground floor structure. As the children broke the ‘handi’, the brick column collapsed on the child, injuring his head.
The injured boy was immediately shifted to Malvani General Hospital for treatment but was declared dead on arrival.
According to information received from the Ward Control Room, the incident was reported at around 3:01 p.m. at Ekta Welfare Society at Room No. 23 in Chikuwadi at Malvani at Marve Road in Malad (West).
Ward staff and police personnel were mobilised following the incident.
Meanwhile, the number of ‘govindas’ injured during Dahi Handi celebrations across Mumbai rose sharply throughout the day.
According to information received from various government and BMC hospitals till 6 p.m., a total of 118 ‘govindas’ had suffered injuries.
Of them, five were admitted to hospitals, 80 were under treatment and 33 had been discharged.
The hospital-wise data showed that CT hospitals reported 83 injured ‘govindas’, with one admitted, 67 under treatment and 15 discharged.
ES hospitals reported 21 injuries, with four people admitted, seven under treatment and 10 discharged.
The KEM hospital in Mumbai reported 29 injured ‘govindas’, with 14 still under treatment and 15 discharged.
Several other injured people are currently undergoing treatment in other hospitals of the city.
The latest figures mark a significant increase from the earlier BMC update at 3 p.m., when 32 ‘govindas’ were reported injured across Mumbai.
–IANS
cg/khz
