Bhuleshwar Ganesh idol collapse: What happened, rescue efforts and timeline

Some of the rescuers who helped those trapped after a 22foot Ganesh idol collapsed on Bhuleshwar Road metres away from the pandal where it was supposed to be placed on Saturday recounted the traumatic episode in which two volunteers mdash Brijesh Joshi 30 and Sanket Nevshe 33 mdash were killed and five others were injuredAn eyewitness said on the condition of anonymity ldquoSeveral children were seated on the platform of the vehicle carrying the idol Several others had gathered at the base When the idol collapsed those seated at its feet were struckrdquo Despite the suddenness of the mishap around 150 volunteers sprang into actionldquoWe just grabbed people and pulled them out The idol was very heavy and the volunteers acted swiftly to rescue the ones trapped Once heavy machinery and fire brigade came in all of them were rushed to various hospitalsrdquo a volunteer saidlsquoWe had no choicersquoBhuleshwar resident claimed ldquoOnce the idol had toppled we tried our level best to pull people out but after a point we had to resort to breaking the idol to get people out and by that time the first responders were on the scene taking control of the situationrdquopopcorn number10 am descTime mourners departed for crematorium on Sunday classDefaultAnother resident said ldquoWhen we inserted iron rods under the idol with police supervision to lift the idol up and evacuate those trapped under it it began to chip apartrdquoElaborating about the rescue operation Anand Patil a local of the area said ldquoAmid our efforts the first responders called for a crane to help lift the idol up so that people could be pulled outrdquoThough the lanes of Bhuleshwar are narrow locals made adequate space ldquoI kept running from one end of the road to the other so that the crane could access the spot from both sidesMourners struggle to compose themselves as the mortal remains of Bhuleshwarcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samiti secretary Sanket Nevshe make their way to the Chandanwadi crematorium in Marine Lines on Sunday morning PicsBy Special ArrangementEveryone was very attentive All the locals moved to the sides of the road to make space for the crane creating no issues Our community was working together to save everyonerdquoSpirit of concernPatil stated that all residents were out of their homes till about 2 am ldquoNo one went home till the whole area was cleared and the victims were taken to hospitals A group of people went stationed themselves at these facilities to assist those who were admittedrdquo he saidDay of mourningThe area was engulfed in silence on Sunday morning as people mourned the deaths of two community volunteers and committee members of the Bhuleshwarcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav SamitiSunday morning started on a sombre note with crowds participating in the funeral processions of Joshi and Nevshe as they left from the junction near the Samitirsquos Ganesh pandal on Bhuleshwar Road for the Chandanwadi crematorium in Marine Lines between 10 am and 1130 am Shops downed their shutters and senior leaders of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti BSGSS attended the processionNaresh Dahibawkar the president of the BSGSS who was also in attendance said ldquoWe are a closely knit community across Mumbai Many other mandals also came to pay their respectsrdquoThe police had restricted access to the entire street by parking their vehicles at each entry point Sanket Nevshersquos grieving widow was supported by other relatives as she made her way to the crematoriumWhile Joshirsquos funeral procession preceded that of Nevshe both were consigned to the flames togetherShops down shutters brieflyIt was only after noon that some shops in the area opened for business Most shops sell apparel such as shoes and jewellery However around the time of the Ganesh festival shops also sell apparel and items that are also used for decorations of Ganesh pandals and household idolsBy 2 pm all establishments were open and by 430 pm the area started bustling with shoppers but even though they had attractive items on display none of the shopkeepers displayed their usual exuberance Swapnil Shinde a shopper pointed outList of the injuredgtgt Vaibhav Ghenand 38 male admitted condition stablegtgt Pawan Chaurasiya 25 male admitted condition stablegtgt Kunal Kashid 26 male admitted condition stablegtgt Lavanya Ganer 5 female admittedgtgt Divya Ganer 7 female admittedResidentsrsquo recollectionsAnand Patil a resident said ldquoJust two minutes before the idol collapsed Sanket was actually at the junction around the corner He was rushing to rejoin the crowdrdquoMukesh Kothari a local social worker said ldquoNo one was here all day On Saturday night after the injured were rushed to hospitals many of us accompanied them and sat outside the facilities Many of these people returned at 3 or 4 am Normalcy resumed at the spot about 1 am or sordquoMembers of the community began to return home around 4 pm on Sunday ldquoNothing feels the same We cannot process what has happenedrdquo said Jayesh Patel a friend of JoshiBrihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samitirsquos statementgtgt The accident at the arrival ceremony of the Bhuleshwarcha Raja Mandal on Saturday night is unfortunate and painfulgtgt The coordination committee expresses its deepest condolences to the two volunteers who died in this accidentgtgt Ganeshotsav is just a few weeks away and the Ganesh idols are still arriving at several pandalsgtgt In the wake of this tragedy the Samiti has appealed to all the mandals in Mumbai to celebrate the arrival of their Ganesh idols without playing flutes or any other form of celebration and express their condolences to the workers who died in the tragedygtgt An urgent meeting will be organised by the Samiti regarding security arrangements and other measures to prevent such incidents in the future during the arrival and immersion ceremoniesgtgt The Samiti has demanded that the government provide financial assistance to the family of the deceased and injured persons Correspondence will be written to the government in this regardTimelineAround 2 pm The 22foottall idol left from Bakri Adda Byculla West where it was sculptedTwohour delay As soon as it left Bakri Adda it hit a speed breaker and the welding work securing the idol to plates brokeThe procession was stopped at Bakri Adda by the Bhuleshwarcha Raja committee members The sculptor shifted the idol carried out repairs and fitted the idol back onto the plates It proceeded to Saat Rasta Mumbai Central Thakurdwar and BhuleshwarBetween 930 and 950 pm The idol toppled forward on Bhuleshwar Road951 pm Locals dialled the police control room number 100955 pm The police arrived About 150 residents attempted to move the idol They slid iron rods under it with the help and supervision of the Mumbai Police and rescued a few people trapped under the collapsed idol1015 pm Sanket Nevshe who headed Bhuleshwarcha Raja committee Akhil Bhuleshwar Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav Mandal was pulled out from beneath the idol according to eyewitnessesAfter 11 pm A crane arrived at Bhuleshwar to move the idol Others who were trapped were removed and rushed to JJ Hospital HN Reliance Hospital and GT Hospital1230 am Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the Reliance Hospital in Girgaon1 am The area was cleared of debrislsquoWe had no choicersquoBhuleshwar resident claimed ldquoOnce the idol had toppled we tried our level best to pull people out but after a point we had to resort to breaking the idol to get people out and by that time the first responders were on the scene taking control of the situationrdquo Another resident said ldquoWhen we inserted iron rods under the idol with police supervision to lift the idol up and evacuate those trapped under it it began to chip apartrdquoOfficial actionFollowing the incident multiple agencies were mobilised to provide emergency assistance including the fire brigade Mumbai Police Traffic Police 108 ambulance services and BMC ward staff