Three devotees drowned while three others managed to escape during the tenth day of Ganesh Visarjan in Shahapur on Saturday evening. The deceased have been identified as Pratik Mohan Munde (21) and Dattu Madhukar Kote (30), while search operations are still underway to trace Kuldeep Jakhare (35). Rescue teams from the NDRF, Disaster Management Cell, and local lifeguards launched an extensive operation but were unable to locate him as of Sunday evening.
Incident at Bharangi River
The tragedy unfolded at around 7:30 PM on Saturday in the Bharangi River, located in the Mundewadi area of Shahapur. According to police, members of the Shiv Tej Mitra Mandal had gathered for idol immersion. During the visarjan, Pratik reportedly ventured about 30 to 50 meters away from the immersion point to swim. Strong currents caused by heavy rainfall pulled him under.
Rescue Attempts Turn Fatal
Seeing him struggle, five companions rushed in to save him. However, two of them also drowned, while the remaining three managed to escape.
Bodies Recovered, Search Continues
Local lifeguards, police, and the fire department were alerted immediately. Pratik’s body was recovered around 10:30 PM on Saturday and rushed to the Primary Health Centre in Shahapur. Due to poor visibility and strong currents, the search was suspended overnight and resumed on Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon, with assistance from NDRF and other agencies, Dattu’s body was recovered at 12:10 PM. Despite continuous efforts, Jakhare remains missing.
Police Statement
Mukesh Dhage, Senior Police Inspector of Shahapur Police Station, confirmed the incident, stating, “During visarjan, one youth ventured into the water to swim and drowned. Five others attempted to rescue him, but two also drowned while three survived. We have deployed police security at the ghat. So far, two bodies have been recovered, and a search operation is underway for the missing person. An Accidental Death Report has been registered.”
