According to local authorities, recently during a thunderstorm, a huge billboard fell and a minimum of 14 people have been killed and many others have been extremely injured in India’s financial capital Mumbai. The billboard fell on some houses and a petrol station next to a busy road in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar following gusty winds and rain. After the incident happened, many others were trapped but rescue operations continued. Mumbai’s municipal corporation said that 74 people were taken to hospital with injuries following the accident, of which 31 were discharged.
The rains, which were accompanied by strong winds, caused the 30-meter-tall (100-foot) billboard located next to a busy road in the Chheda Nagar area of Ghatkopar to fall over a petrol station and some houses. The Press Trust of India news agency, mentioned to the police officials that the billboard was installed illegally.
Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state, said that a high-level of inquiry had been ordered into the incident and strict action would be taken against those responsible. A high level of inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
Mumbai, which is the capital of Maharashtra, was hit hard by strong winds and was followed by dust storms and rain that uprooted trees and caused brief power outages in parts of the city, along with disruptions to the city’s train network. The thunderstorm brought traffic to a standstill in parts of the city and disrupted operations at its airport, which is one of the country’s busiest airports, where at least 15 flights were diverted. Generally, during the monsoon season, which is between June and September India records heavy rains and severe floods which bring most of its annual rainfall. For agriculture, rain is crucial but most often causes extensive damage.
To prevent such accidents from happening again, In Mumbai, instructions have been given to conduct a structural audit of all hoardings and immediately take down dangerous ones, says Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra state.
According to a BMC official, around 25 people and some cars were still trapped under the crumpled hoarding. Officials from fire services, police, disaster response, and other authorities continued rescue operations that were taking longer because gas cutters could not be used at the site because of the presence of the fuel pump.
