Two people were killed and four others injured after a short‑circuit caused an electrocution at a temporary drinking‑water and cold‑drink stall near the Mahaganpati Utsav Mandal pandal in Mumbai’s Lalbaug district on Sunday morning.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:20 a.m. on September 20, 2026, close to the entrance gate of the pandal situated in Digvijay Mill Chawl on Dattaram Lad Marg, Kalachowki, while crowds were gathering for the ongoing Ganesh festival celebrations.
Fire‑rescue teams arrived promptly, cut the power supply and cordoned off the area as a precaution. Six victims were taken to nearby hospitals. An eight‑year‑old girl, Raghini Ghanshyam Yadav, was pronounced dead on arrival at Masina Hospital in Byculla. A 33‑year‑old woman identified as Sujata also died at Global Hospital in Parel.
The remaining four survivors were admitted for treatment. Three 19‑year‑old individuals – Kiran Akbar Naik, Tanvi Naresh Hande and Sahil Sandip Tare – are reported to be in stable condition. A 12‑year‑old girl, Ruhi Singh, remains in critical condition in the intensive‑care unit.
An inspection by officials of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) found that a temporary electric meter had been installed to power lighting for the festival and the stall. The meter’s wiring and miniature circuit breaker had been disconnected by a local electrician, leaving the supply only partially cut off.
BEST engineers, including a fuseman and a meter inspector, assisted investigators in determining the cause of the short circuit. The Kalachowki police have opened a detailed inquiry to ascertain responsibility and prevent similar incidents in the future.