Rajkot, Sep 24 (IANS): A man and his nephew drowned in the Aaji dam while performing the Lord Ganesh idol's immersion in Gujarat's Rajkot.

As the ten-day festival of Ganeshotsav entered its fifth day, devotees gathered for the customary rituals to worship Lord Ganesha.

The victims have been identified as Rambhai (33) and Harsh (19), who were relatives.

The bodies have been transferred to the civil hospital in Rajkot, where post-mortem examinations will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.

However, these celebrations were marred by a series of drowning incidents, raising concerns about safety during immersion ceremonies. Similar reports had emerged earlier from Vadodara.

Theincident unfolded during the Ganesh Absuran ceremony at the Aaji Dam, where members of the Maninagar Society had congregated. Three individuals ventured into the dam's waters to perform the sacred ritual. Unfortunately, strong currents swept two of them away, leading to the heart-wrenching incident.

A video capturing their final moments has surfaced, with a distant voice guiding them to immerse the idol three times before leaving it in the lake, while chanting Ganpati Bapa Morya. Responding to the incident, the local fire brigade initiated a search operation.