Three municipal workers were injured when a Durga idol being taken for immersion collapsed on them at the Raidak River ghat in Tufanganj, West Bengal, on Wednesday, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal. The workers were handling the immersion of an idol brought by the Tufanganj Jaihind Club when it fell forward from a trolley.
The injured workers were reportedly trapped beneath the idol and were rescued soon afterwards. Their injuries were not considered serious, and they were not admitted to hospital, the report said.
The accident occurred on Dashami, while idols from Tufanganj town and its surrounding areas were being brought to the ghat for immersion. Municipal workers had been assigned responsibility for carrying out the immersion operations at the site.
A video of the incident circulated after the accident. It reportedly shows several municipal workers moving the idol towards the river when the structure suddenly tipped forward, leaving some of them underneath it.
The incident also led to a verbal altercation between members of the puja committee and the workers responsible for the immersion. Police personnel present at the ghat intervened and brought the situation under control, according to the report.
Immersion work was temporarily disrupted after the accident but resumed later. The supplied report does not mention any further injuries, hospitalisation or official inquiry into the incident.
