Mumbai Dahi Handi 2026: BMC says 168 govindas injured during celebrations until 9 pm

As many as 168 govindas were reported injured during Dahi Handi celebrations across Mumbai till 9 pm on Saturday according to information received from various government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC hospitalsOf those injured 29 were admitted 81 were under treatment and 58 had been dischargedThe celebrations also turned tragic in Maharashtra with a sevenyearold boy in Mumbai and a woman in Pune losing their lives in incidents linked to Dahi Handi eventsOf the 168 injured govindas reported in Mumbai hospitals in the central suburbs accounted for the highest number of cases at 106 Of these 18 were admitted 52 were under treatment and 36 had been dischargedHospitals in the eastern suburbs reported 29 injured govindas including six admissions Eight were under treatment and 15 had been dischargedIn the western suburbs 33 govindas were reported injured Five were admitted 21 were under treatment and seven had been dischargedKEM reports highest number of injured govindas at 33Among individual hospitals KEM Hospital reported the highest number of injured govindas at 33 Six were admitted 12 were under treatment and 15 had been dischargedRajawadi Hospital reported 20 injured govindas with six admitted five under treatment and nine discharged Nair Hospital reported 17 injured including four admissions while 13 remained under treatmentPotdar Hospital reported 16 injured govindas all of whom had been discharged Hinduja Hospital reported 14 injured with two admitted and 12 under treatmentBDBA Hospital reported 13 injured govindas of whom two were admitted four were under treatment and seven had been dischargedSion Hospital reported eight injured govindas with four admitted and four under treatmentUntil 6 pm the BMC had reported 118 injuries in Mumbai Of these five had been admitted while 80 had received preliminary treatment and 33 had been discharged KEM had reported 29 cases followed by Nair Hospital with 17 and Rajawadi Hospital with 13Boy dies in Malvani after brick column collapses woman killed in PuneMeanwhile in Malvani a sevenyearold boy Rudra Kadam died after a brick column collapsed on him at Ekta Welfare Society in Chikuwadi around 3 pm A group of children had reportedly been celebrating Dahi Handi on their own with one end of the rope holding the handi tied to a tree and the other to a brick column of a groundfloor structureAs the children attempted to break the handi the column collapsed burying Rudra under the debris Bystanders pulled him out and rushed him to Malvani General Hospital where doctors declared him dead Ward staff and police personnel were mobilised following the incidentIn Pune Salma Salauddin Pathan a resident of Old Sangavi in Pimpri Chinchwad died after a temporary iron structure supporting a stack of loudspeakers at a Dahi Handi event collapsed on her on Friday night Police said workers were dismantling the structure after an event organised by Vighnaharta Mandal when a heavy portion fell on her She suffered a serious head injury and was declared dead at a hospitalAn accidental death report was registered in the Pune case with police investigating the collapse Pathans son was an officebearer of the organising mandal and the family declined to lodge a complaint against the organisersDahi Handi is part of the Janmashtami festival marking the birth of Lord Krishna As part of the tradition govindas form multitier human pyramids to break clay pots filled with curd suspended above the groundThe festival is celebrated across Maharashtra with Dahi Handi events in Mumbai and neighbouring areas attracting large crowds prizes celebrity appearances and entertainment programmesShinde urges govindas to prioritise safety as police step up securityThe latest injury figures come amid repeated appeals for caution during the celebrations Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde speaking at the Dahi Handi celebrations at Tembhi Naka in Thane urged govindas to prioritise safety over the height of human pyramidsldquoBreak the pot but protect life Remember that your parents are waiting for you at home Every govinda must ensure their teammates do not get injuredrdquo he saidChief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who visited Dahi Handi events in Worli Dadar and Ghatkopar also urged citizens particularly youngsters to stay away from addiction and said the celebrations should strengthen the lsquoDrugFree Maharashtrarsquo campaign In Worli he symbolically broke the handi to mark the beginning of the celebrationsThe police stepped up security across Mumbai deploying additional personnel in sensitive areas during the festival The BMC had also kept more than 100 beds ready at civic hospitals in the city and suburbs for treating injured govindas Health officers and staff were deployed in three shifts while hospitals were directed to maintain adequate stocks of medicines injections and surgical materialNeighbouring Thane reported 12 injured govindas admitted to hospitals during the celebrationsWith PTI inputs