21 Die, Several Go Missing During Durga Puja Idol Immersions in India

© AP Photo / Anupam NathAn idol of Hindu goddess Durga is taken for immersion in the river Brahmaputra on the last day of Durga Puja festival in Guwahati, India, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022.
An idol of Hindu goddess Durga is taken for immersion in the river Brahmaputra on the last day of Durga Puja festival in Guwahati, India, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. - Sputnik International, 1920, 06.10.2022
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The six-day Durga Puja, an annual festival devoted to the Hindu goddess of power, concluded on Wednesday. As part of the conclusion of rituals, devotees immerse idols of the Goddess' in nearby rivers, lakes, artificial ponds or the sea.
At least 11 people drowned in the India state of West Bengal, five in Rajasthan, two in Karnataka, and three in Uttar Pradesh while immersing Goddess Durga idols amid a series of religious festivities on Wednesday evening.
In West Bengal, where several people are reportedly missing as well, the incident happened when hundreds of people gathered along the bank of the River Mal where the water level later began swelling due to heavy rains in Sikkim state, from where the river water comes into West Bengal.
"There was no local prediction of rainfall. Around 30-40 were rescued, and immersion was temporarily stopped," said District Magistrate Moumita Godara Basu.
Meanwhile, local authories fear the death toll might increase as several people remain missing.
"Anguished by the mishap during Durga Puja festivities in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
Meanwhile, three people drowned in a river after falling from boats during Goddess Durga's immersion in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal.
In Uttar Pradesh's Agra district, three people aged between 15 and 22 drowned in the Yamuna River during idol immersion.
In Ajmer, five people drowned in a ditch while immersing the idol. According to police, the ditch was filled with rainwater, and the people, without realizing its depth, attempted to go inside. The bodies of men aged between 20-35, were recovered and sent for postmortem examinations.
In Bengaluru, Karnataka two family member reportedly drowned in a lake, the police have not yet recovered the bodies.
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