Two people, including an eight-year-old girl, were killed and four others injured after an electric current reportedly spread through an area near the entrance of a Ganpati pandal in Kalachowki early Sunday, amid heavy crowds in Mumbai’s Lalbaug.

The incident took place around 2.20 am near the Kalachowki Vibhag Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal on Dattaram Lad Marg. According to civic officials, a short circuit occurred near a temporary drinking water and cold drink stall set up close to the pandal entrance, after which electric current was detected in the area.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade received a call about the incident at 2.42 am. Fire brigade personnel, along with police, BEST and civic ward officials, reached the spot and immediately disconnected the power supply. The area was also cordoned off as a precaution.

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Six people who suffered electric shocks were rushed to nearby hospitals. Two were declared dead.

The deceased were identified as eight-year-old Ragini Yadav and Sujata, 33. Three others, Kiran Akbar Naik, 19, Tanvi Naresh Hande, 19, and Sahil Sandip Tare, 19, were undergoing treatment and were reported to be stable, according to civic officials. A 12-year-old girl, Ruhi Singh, was admitted to the ICU in critical condition.

At Masina Hospital, Ragini was declared brought dead.

Her aunt, Kismati Yadav, said that the family had been waiting in the queue from around 2 am but decided to leave because of the crowd. They took a side route and stopped near a shop outside the mandap to allow the crowd to pass when the incident occurred.

“There were lights installed there, near the mandap. They should have taken care of safety. The child we have lost will not be brought back,” she said.

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A preliminary site inspection by BEST officials found that a temporary electricity meter had been installed at the site for lighting the Ganesh festival celebrations and the cold drink stall. Officials said the wiring and MCB had been disconnected by a local electrician.

The Kalachowki police have initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the short circuit and the circumstances leading to the electrocution.

The incident occurred as large crowds gathered across Lalbaug and Kalachowki on Saturday night, with devotees arriving ahead of Sunday’s holiday to visit prominent Ganpati mandals.

The electrocution incident comes a day after another death in the Lalbaug area. On September 17 night, 25 year old Pune based mechanical engineer Jaideep Meghraj Nemade died after suffering a cardiac arrest while waiting for darshan at Lalbaugcha Raja.

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Police said preliminary information indicated that Nemade had suffered a heart attack and registered an accidental death report. His relatives have not raised any complaint or suspicion regarding his death.

The deaths come as the Lalbaug Kalachowki area continues to witness large crowds during the Ganesh festival, with thousands of devotees gathering at prominent mandals through the night.