Mumbai:

Sachin Yadav (23), one of the victims of the hoarding collapse, had landed a job as an attendant at the ill-fated BPCL petrol pump in Ghatkopar just a couple of months ago, a family member said on Tuesday.

Yadav is one of the 14 people who were killed when a 120 x 120 square feet illegal hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump in the Chheda Nagar area due to gusty winds during dust storms and rains that lashed the city on Monday.

At least 75 others were injured in the incident.

Sachin, father to a three-month-old baby, had joined as an attendant at the petrol pump just a couple of months ago, said his cousin Sunil Yadav.

“I was unaware of the accident till someone shared a video on my WhatsApp group. I realised that Sachin was working at the petrol pump and was worried. I started calling him frantically, but my calls went unanswered,” Sunil said.

Sunil later reached the scene amid the chaos, and a police official asked him to contact Rajawadi Hospital, where some of the victims and the injured were taken.

“We identified Sachin’s body and claimed it. We are taking the body to Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh,” Sunil said.

Workers from the nearby construction site were the first rescuers at the scene, who rushed the injured to nearby hospitals.

“A woman approached us asking us to help get her husband out from under the hoarding. She was distraught, and we helped get him out, but he almost lost his leg,” one of the workers said.

Rakesh Gujaral was one of the lucky few rescued in time and escaped unhurt.

Gujaral, who was at the petrol pump to fill CNG, said, “I was trapped inside my car, but managed to contact my family members on the phone and kept honking to get their attention when they arrived at the scene.” A police constable said people living nearby assembled here to shoot videos and take pictures and selfies at the site. Around 30-35 vehicles and some people were still trapped under the hoarding. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Fourteen people died and over 70 were injured when a massive billboard collapsed during a fierce storm that battered Mumbai Monday evening.

The 100-foot billboard, situated opposite a fuel station in the Ghatkopar area of Mumbai, succumbed to the ferocity of the storm, crashing down with alarming force, directly onto the fuel station below. CCTV footage from the area captured the metal structure tearing through the roofs of several cars before thudding on the ground.

Search and rescue mission is currently in progress. The NDRF has dispatched two teams to assist in collaboration with the Mumbai Fire Brigade and other involved agencies.

Video | Huge Scaffolding Ripped Apart By Dust Storm In Mumbai

The hoarding was erected by Ego Media on a plot which has been leased to the Police Welfare Corporation by the Maharashtra government’s Police Housing Division. There are four hoardings from Ego Media on the premises, one of which collapsed Monday evening. Mumbai Police registered a case against the owner of Ego Media, along with others implicated in the incident.

Although Ego Media was granted permission for all four hoardings, including the one that fell, by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Railways), no authorisation or No Objection Certificate (NOC) was obtained from the BMC before installation. Consequently, the BMC has issued a notice to the Railway Police’s ACP and the Railway Commissioner, demanding the cancellation of all permissions granted by the Railways and the removal of the hoardings.

In Pics | Mumbai Sky Turns Murky After Massive Dust Storm, Rainfall

Mumbai last evening found itself besieged by a sudden and powerful dust storm which enveloped the metropolis in darkness, with residents taking to social media to share accounts of the unfolding chaos.

Transport networks bore the brunt of the storm’s fury, with local trains and airport services grinding to a halt in the face of the storm. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) was compelled to suspend flight operations temporarily, citing low visibility and gusty winds as the reasons.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued urgent warnings, forecasting thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and heavy rain for Mumbai and surrounding areas. 

While the unseasonal rain offered some respite from the sweltering heat, power outages in various districts, including Thane’s Kalwa, added further hardships for residents already grappling with the aftermath of the storm. Uprooted trees and structural damage were also reported from satellite towns such as Thane, Ambernath, Badlapur, Kalyan, and Ulhasnagar.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the site of the collapse and assured that his government would conduct a structural audit of all hoardings in the city.  

“The hoardings, if found illegal and dangerous, would be removed immediately,” he said. “It is a very unfortunate incident. The government will probe it, and the people responsible will face action. I have also asked the BMC commissioner to conduct a structural audit of all the hoardings in the city. Those found illegal and dangerous will be removed.”

The Chief Minister also announced an aid of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each person killed in the hoarding collapse.