The ten-day Ganesh immersion celebrations across Telangana ended on a tragic note, with 13 people losing their lives and 26 others sustaining injuries, according to Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) CV Anand. Among those who died was New Kothagudem Sub-Inspector Venkanna, who had been deployed in Hyderabad for immersion duty. Six deaths were reported from Patancheru, while another devotee, Shiva, died during the Khairatabad immersion procession. An additional death was reported in Nirmal after a heart attack. The DGP also stated that high noise levels from DJ systems contributed to some of the fatalities.

Police said 17 of the injured were from the Malkajgiri Commissionerate. This year, 1.24 lakh Ganesh idols were officially registered on the state’s Ganesh portal, an increase from 1.15 lakh last year. Including idols installed in homes, apartments and private premises, officials estimated that 3.5 to 4 lakh idols were installed across Telangana. By Friday morning, around 88,000 idols had already been immersed, while the remaining processions continued into Saturday due to delays in areas such as Rajendranagar and Shamshabad.

To ensure peaceful celebrations, authorities deployed more than 25,000 police personnel in Hyderabad, along with support from the Telangana State Special Police, Rapid Action Force (RAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Octopus commandos. Surveillance through CCTV cameras, cranes and emergency response teams was maintained at major immersion points, with the entire operation monitored from the state’s integrated command and control centres. Despite the extensive security arrangements, the festival witnessed multiple fatal incidents, making it one of the most tragic Ganesh immersion periods in recent years.