Home / Disasters and Accidents / Ganesh Immersion Turns Tragic: Four Drownings Reported
Ganesh Immersion Turns Tragic: Four Drownings Reported
29 Sep
Summary
- Two schoolboys drowned in Arpa river during Ganesh idol immersion.
- A third man drowned in Kori dam waste weir; a fourth in a pond.
- Rescue operations for two missing boys lasted nearly three days.
Tragic incidents unfolded during Ganesh idol immersion, resulting in four drowning deaths across Bilaspur and Durg districts. The most poignant event occurred near Madhuban Ghat in Bilaspur on September 26, 2026. Two schoolboys, 12-year-old Ayan Ansari and 16-year-old Imnesh Ansari, lost their lives in the Arpa river.
Eyewitness accounts suggest Ayan entered the river to retrieve a floating coconut. When he began drowning, Imnesh jumped in to save him. Both were swept away by the strong current. Ayan's body was found the same evening, but Imnesh remained missing.
Intensive search operations involving police, SDRF, and local fishermen continued for nearly three days. Imnesh's body was finally recovered on September 29, 2026, after being spotted floating downstream. The nearly 72-hour search concluded with the recovery of both boys.
In a separate incident on September 29, 2026, 34-year-old Digvijay Kumar Kaushik drowned in the waste weir of Kori dam in Kota, Bilaspur. He had gone to the dam with friends and disappeared while swimming.
Additionally, 32-year-old Ashwani Vishwakarma of Bhilai Camp-2 died after slipping into deeper water while bathing in a pond in Pahanda village, Durg district. Investigations are underway for Kaushik's drowning.
