India, Aug. 23 -- What was meant to be a moment of devotion turned fatal in south Mumbai on Saturday night, August 22, when a Ganesh idol collapsed during the arrival ceremony killing two devotees and injuring five others, including two young children, civic officials said.

The mishap unfolded around 10 pm on Balaram Merchant Road near Kabutarkhana at Jay Ambe Chowk in Bhuleshwar; a spot where crowds had gathered to welcome the idol in a ceremony termed 'Bhuleshwaracha Raja'. The ceremony is carried out with customary music, festivities and is marked as one of Maharashtra's most sacred and widely observed festivals.

According to a civic official, the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals immediately after the idol fell, but two among ...