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Maharashtra Dahi Handi festivities leave woman dead, 42 injured

24htopnews | September 5, 2026 9:42 PM CST

Mumbai: A 45-year-old woman was crushed to death under an iron frame in Pune, while at least 32 ‘Govindas’ were injured during Dahi Handi celebrations in Mumbai and 10 in Thane, officials said on Saturday.

Salma Salauddin Pathan, a resident of the Old Sangavi area in Pimpri Chinchwad suburb of Pune, died after a temporary iron structure erected to support a stack of loudspeakers for a Dahi Handi event collapsed on her on Friday night, police said.

Workers were dismantling the iron frame after the event organised by the Vighnaharta Mandal concluded, and a heavy portion fell on Pathan. She sustained a serious head injury and was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead, they said.

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The woman’s death comes amid an intense debate in Pune over the use of high-decibel sound systems, colloquially known as ‘DJs’, during festivals, sparked by local activist Vidyanand Bapat.

In Mumbai, 32 ‘Govindas’ who were part of human pyramids during the Dahi Handi celebrations sustained injuries, civic officials said.

Of them, 25 were discharged from hospitals after treatment, they said.

Dahi Handi, which is part of the Janmashtami festival that marks the birth of Lord Krishna, is seeing enthusiastic participation by the revellers.

The festival is being celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety in Mumbai, neighbouring Thane and other parts of the state.

As part of the celebrations, ‘Govindas’ form multi-tier human pyramids to break ‘Dahi Handis’ (clay pots filled with curd) suspended mid-air.

As many as 32 ‘Govindas’ sustained injuries, of whom 29 were taken to hospitals, and 25 were discharged. Four are undergoing treatment, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in its latest update.

Dahi Handi events organised by politicians in Mumbai and neighbouring areas have emerged as major attractions over the years, with huge prizes, celebrity appearances and entertainment programmes.

In view of the festival, the police have stepped up security across the city, deploying heavy bandobast in sensitive areas.

The BMC has said that it has made extensive arrangements to treat injured ‘Govindas’.

Sixteen civic-run suburban hospitals and Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Sion, KEM Hospital in Parel and Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central have over 100 beds ready, the civic body stated in a release on Friday.

In neighbouring Thane, which draws huge crowds during the festival, 10 ‘Govindas’ have been admitted to hospitals, a civic official said.

While four of them received treatment at the civic-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital for various injuries to the back, neck and head, six others were admitted to the District Government Hospital for fractures and other physical trauma, he said.