MUMBAI: Strong dust storms followed by heavy rain caused havoc in Mumbai on Monday, leading to a tragic incident were a massive billboard collapsed, killing as many as eight people while injuring 61 others.
Initial estimates suggested over 100 individuals were caught in the debris at the Police Ground petrol pump along the Eastern Express Highway in Pantnagar.
The storm wreaked havoc across the city, uprooting poles, scaffolding, and trees in many areas, an under-construction metal parking tower collapsed on a road amid gusty winds in Wadala area, injuring three persons and damaging vehicles.
"I was there when a big hoarding of some builder fell down, all the cars, bikes and people that were there got stuck. We helped people get out and somehow manage to escape,"an eyewitness, Swapnil Khupte, told news agency ANI. an eyewitness, Swapnil Khupte, told news agency ANI.
The Mumbai police posted on its social media flatworm that, "Today, on 13/05/2024, around 16:30, a sudden storm and heavy rain led to a devastating incident. A metal girder from a billboard, sized 70/50 meters, collapsed at Railway Petrol Pump, Samta Colony, Ghatkopar (E), injuring 37 people. Approximately 50-60 individuals are still believed to be trapped. Our officials, alongside the Fire Brigade, @mybmc, and Mahanagar Gas Ltd, are on-site conducting a search and rescue operation."
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde reached the location to take stock of the situation, he said that the government assures that the injured will receive necessary treatment and a sum of Rs 5 lakh will be provided to the families of the deceased. He also added that the authorities have been directed to conduct audits of all similar billboards in Mumbai to prevent future incidents.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a post on X said the state government has ordered an investigation into the incident.
A National Disaster Response Force team joined the rescue operation and the injured persons were rushed to civic-run Rajawadi Hospital.
Due to the inclement weather and dust storm, the Mumbai airport temporarily suspended flight operations for around one hour, which resulted in at least 15 diversions. Metro services were suspended between Aarey and Andheri East metro stations after strong winds caused a banner to land on the overhead wire. a spokesperson from Metro Rail said.
According to the India Meteorological Department, strong winds are likely to persist in some areas over the next four hours and people were advised to stay cautious. "Thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and light to moderate spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph are very likely to occur at isolated places in Mumbai in the next 3-4 hours,” an official of IMD said.
Similar incidents of scaffolding collapses were reported in Mumbai and its suburbs. In Jogeshwari, gusty winds uprooted a tree, which fell on an autorickshaw. The driver was injured and taken to a nearby hospital by locals.
Mumbai Police registered a case against the owner of Ego Media and others after the incident
The owner, Bhavesh Bhinde, and others were booked under sections 304 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt to another person by acting rashly or negligently) of the Indian Penal Code.
The case has been registered at Pantnagar police station and the investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a notice to the advertisement agency, asking it to immediately remove the remaining three hoardings near the spot, officials said.
The notice has been issued to M/s Ego Media for installing the hoarding that collapsed on the petrol pump during the gusty winds on Monday evening.
"The BMC has asked the ad agency to remove the remaining three hoardings immediately for not having valid permission," an official said.
The Assistant Police Commissioner (Admin) had given permission for erecting the four hoardings on behalf of the Commissioner of Railway Police, Mumbai, including the one which collapsed on Monday, but no official permission or NOC was obtained from the BMC.
The official said the land on which the hoarding was erected is the Collector land and it was in possession of Police Housing Welfare Corporation of the Government of Maharashtra as per the property card records.
The land was initially given to the Government Railway Police for use, it stated.
Earlier on May 2, the BMC issued a notice to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Admin) of Railway Police to instruct the advertising agency about the cancellation of all permissions and remove the hoardings, the BMC official said.
Mumbai Police had registered a case against the concerned advertising agency for allegedly poisoning trees, which were obstructing the view of the hoardings in Chheda Nagar area, he said.
A case was registered against the Mulund-based M/s Ego Media on July 13, 2023, at Pant Nagar police station for poisoning nine coconut trees and two bottle palm trees, the official said.
Though the BMC allows holdings of a maximum size of 40x40 square feet, the illegal hoarding that collapsed measured 120 x 120 square feet in size, the official said.
He said the work order for the installation of the hoarding was initially given in December 2021 by the then Assistant Commissioner of Police on behalf of the GRP Commissioner.
Ravindra Shisave, Commissioner, GRP, said the land on which the hoardings were erected is in the possession of the Government Railway Police, but the hoardings were erected at the spot before he took charge.
He further said that GRP has already launched a probe about the permissions given for installing the hoardings.
"Taking a serious note of the incident, an inquiry has been started to find out under whose authority the permission was given," Shisave said.
According to sources, the three hoardings are likely to be removed on Tuesday by the BMC.
(With inputs from Agencies)