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Mumbai: 14 Dead, Over 70 Injured After Billboard Collapses In Ghatkopar; NDRF Teams Rescue People

The tragic incident involving the collapse of a massive billboard killed 14 people.

by Shreya Ghosh
Mumbai: 14 Dead, Over 70 Injured After Billboard Collapses In Ghatkopar; NDRF Teams Rescue People

The hustle and bustle and chaos of Mumbai came to a standstill for some time on Monday as the city was hit by a gusty dust storm and the first heavy rainfall of the season. The storm was intense and painted the ‘City of Dreams’ in different shades of grey. A huge billboard in Ghatkopar collapsed due to the dust storm creating major chaos. Many got trapped under it while some, unfortunately, lost their lives.

14 People Died After Billboard Collapsed In Ghatkopar

Nishit Doshi (@NishitDoshi144) took to the X platform to share a clip of the billboard falling on a petrol pump at Cheddanagar Junction and causing damage to people and things trapped under it.

Following the crashing of the illegal hoarding on the petrol pump, teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to the accident spot to rescue people. According to a report by The Times of India, the death toll is now at 14. The NDRF teams have rescued 88 people from the devastating condition. More than 70 people suffered injuries. Among the ones who were sent to the Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar for treatment, 31 have been discharged.

X user Soundar C / சௌந்தர் செ (@soundarc2001) shared some pictures of the NDRF team rescuing people affected due to the incident.

Right after the horrifying accident, the NDRF teams reached the area and began to look for people and rescue each of them. Sadly, some already lost their lives by the time they were taken out of the rubble and rushed to the hospital for proper treatment. NDRF teams used hydraulic cutters to cut structures and rescue trapped people under the hoarding.

Also read: Mumbai Grapples With Heavy Rainfall And Dust Storms; Trees Fallen, Commuters Stranded!

Interestingly, this 17,000 sq ft billboard made it to the Limca Book of Records as India’s largest billboard. But it was put up without proper authorisation and clearances.

Police Filed Cases

The X user shared an image of the billboard collapsing on the ground.

The hoarding that caused all the chaos yesterday was actually an illegal one. Bhavesh Bhide owns this massive hoarding that fell on the petrol pump yesterday. Mumbai police filed a case against Bhavesh Bhinde and other people for erecting a billboard illegally. An official stated that the police registered the case at Pantnagar police station.

Ego Media Pvt Ltd has worked on positioning this much-talked-about billboard. According to the updates of the investigation, the company has worked on 8 more billboards. Just like the one that collapsed yesterday, the company did not take the civic body’s permission to put up other hoardings.

Also read: IMD Predicts Rainfall & Thunderstorms In UP, Punjab, Haryana & More Till May 16

Yesterday’s storm and heavy rainfall also turned out to be chaotic for commuters on the road. According to locals, it took hours to even cover short distances. It was truly a tragic incident for so many people. Some lost their lives and many faced severe injuries. The sudden dust storm turned out to be a terrible misery for many.

Cover Image Courtesy: Soundar C / சௌந்தர் செ (@soundarc2001)

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