Second youth succumbs to injuries received in dahi-handi fest

MUMBAI - Injured during the dahi-handi celebrations on Janmashtami, a 22-year-old youth succumbed to his injuries Thursday after battling with a skull fracture, officials here said.

Deepak More had fractured his skull as he fell off the truck that was taking him, along with other Govindas to the dahi-handi venue at Matunga in south-central Mumbai on Sep 2.

More was admitted in the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital. “He passed away this morning. He was brought here on Janmashtami with head injuries,” said an on-duty medical officer.

The first fatality of the celebration was Kishore Kamble, who died Sep 5 after blood accumulated in his chest.

This year in Mumbai and Thane, at least 170 of the revellers, popularly known as ‘Govindas’ sustained injuries during the celebrations.

This year, some of the pyramids touched a dangerous nine-tier-height of an eight-storey building. On an average, about 50 Govindas are involved in building a pyramid.