Six young boys have tragically died after plunging into a lake near Hyderabad while participating in the annual Ganesh Visarjan (immersion) ceremony. The incident occurred at Pedda Kanjarla village, located in the outskirts of the city, where a group of eight minor boys who shared accommodation at a charitable trust-run hostel were gathered for the religious ritual.
According to police officials, all eight boys had been staying at the hostel, which serves underprivileged children, and had gone to the nearby lake to immerse a clay idol of Lord Ganesha as part of the traditional festival conclusion. During the immersion proceedings, the group appears to have entered or fallen into the water. Despite rescue efforts by locals and emergency responders, six of them could not be saved. Two survivors were pulled out and received medical attention.
Local residents and fellow hostel inmates described a scene of chaos and panic as the accident unfolded. Several witnesses reportedly rushed to the water's edge to attempt rescues before professional help arrived. Fire brigade and police teams reached the site and managed to retrieve the bodies of the six deceased children from the lake.
Authorities have opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the drowning. It remains unclear whether safety precautions were in place at the lake or whether the boys knew how to swim. The charitable trust operating the hostel has expressed deep grief over the loss. Festival committees and local administration have been urged to enforce safety guidelines at immersion sites, particularly near bodies of water where minors gather in large numbers.
The tragedy has cast a somber mood over the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations across the region, with many community groups expressing shock and sorrow at the preventable nature of the deaths.
