Two drown in Nashik during Ganesh idol immersion; 3 rescued

Two persons drowned on Thursday during immersion of Lord Ganesh idols in Nashik district of Maharashtra, while three others were rescued, police said. Another devotee is missing and feared to have drowned, they said.

The deceased were identified as Prashant Patil (38), who drowned near Ramkund, a sacred bathing ghat on the bank of the Godavari river, in Nashik city, and Yuvraj Rathod (28), who met with watery grave in a pond at Pahine village in the holy town of Trimbakeshwar, around 50km from here, they said. One college-going youth is missing, the police said.

Lifeguards and fire brigade jawans rescued three persons from near the Someshwar waterfall in Nashik, they said. Water level of the Godavari has increased following discharge of water from the Gangapur dam.

Collector of Nashik Suraj Mandhare has advised people not to go into the swollen river..