This was the moment a crane hook supporting four men taking part in a religious Indian ceremony snapped, dropping them into a pond from a height of 20 feet.

Local media reported that the men were rescued in time and rushed to a hospital, where they are recovering from their injuries. One of them suffered a fracture in both his legs.

The terrifying incident occurred during the local Ganesh festival celebration, a ceremony of worship for the clay idols of Ganesh. The celebration took place in Jammikunta town in Karimnagar district, Telangana state of India, and the four men - Nirnajan, Mahender, Praveen and Naresh Reddy – were trying to immerse a huge idol of Ganesh in the pond when the mental hook of the crane lowering them to the water snapped.

The local police have filed a case and are probing if mechanical failure or operator negligence led to the incident.

This was the moment four men dropped into a pond from a height of 20 feet after a crane hook that was supporting the platform they were standing on snapped.

The men were rescued in time and rushed to a hospital where they are recovering from their injuries.

The terrifying incident occurred at Jammikunta town in Karimnagar district, Telangana state of India, during the ceremony of Ganesh festival.

During the Ganesh festival, Hindus worship clay idols of Ganesh, which are then immersed in ponds.

The four men - Nirnajan, Mahender, Praveen and Naresh Reddy – were trying to immerse a huge idol of Ganesh in a local pond when the mishap happened.

A crane was lowering them to water along with the idol when its metal hook snapped and dropped them from a height of 20 feet.

The men were pulled out of water and rushed to a local hospital.

An official said Naresh had suffered a fracture in both his legs and had been shifted to a bigger hospital in Warangal about 60 miles away.

The local police have filed a case and are probing if mechanical failure or operator negligence led to the incident.