Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most important festivals of Hindus in India, held in August or September to celebrate the birth of the elephant-headed god Ganesh - the god of wisdom, prosperity and luck. People will make elephant-headed idols of Ganesha and after the festival ends, the idols will be released into rivers, seas or lakes.
India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) carries out rescue operations and searches for survivors at Lower Lake in Bhopal, India on September 13.
On the morning of September 13, during the procession of the Elephant God, a boat carrying about 20-15 people capsized on Lower Lake in Bhopal city, the capital of Madhya Pradesh state. Krishan Kumar, spokesman of the Indian National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), said that in addition to the six people who were lucky enough to swim to shore, at least 12 people drowned. Currently, the search for the missing people is still underway.
Boats used for the ritual are often overloaded, leading to frequent accidents in India. Most of the activities are held in rural areas and people on the boats often do not wear life jackets.
