Uncle, nephew drown during Ganpati visarjan

In a shocking incident, two persons from a family drowned while they were immersing their Ganesha idol on the second day of the festival. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening at a pond in Shivkar village near Panvel police station. The bodies were fished out from the adjoining nullah on Wednesday morning.

Police said the incident took place around 6.20pm during heavy downpour. The victims have been identified as Kiran Manore, 36, and Nikhil Manore, 25, had ventured deep into the pond. The deceased were residents of Hariom Apartment in Shivkar village in Panvel taluka.

According to police, Kiran Manore, Nikhil’s uncle, slipped in the water while immersing the idol. Kiran, who did not know how to swim, caught his uncle’s neck with both hands in order to save himself. Due to downpour, both were swept away into the nullah adjoining the pond.

“Family and friends tried hard to find the two but their efforts went in vain. Heavy rain did not let them venture deep,” said a police officer from Panvel police station.

Next day, the Panvel police called in a fire brigade to find the bodies. “After two hours’ search, both bodies were traced in the same spot of the pond on Wednesday around 10.30 am,” said the officer. Panvel police have registered a case of accidental death. The bodies have been handed over to the family.