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The Ganesh Chaturthi festival is one of the most important Hindu festivals in India, celebrated in August or September to commemorate the birth of Ganesh, the elephant-headed god symbolizing wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune. People create elephant-headed Ganesh statues, and after the festival ends, these statues are released into rivers, seas, or lakes.
India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) conducts rescue and search operations for survivors at Lower Lake in Bhopal, India, on September 13.
On the morning of September 13th, during the aforementioned elephant procession, a boat carrying approximately 20-15 people capsized on Lower Lake in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh state. Krishan Kumar, spokesperson for the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) of India, stated that while six people managed to swim to shore, at least 12 drowned. The search for the missing is currently underway.
The boats used in ceremonial activities are often overloaded, leading to frequent accidents in India. Most of these activities take place in rural areas, and those on board often do not wear life jackets.
