During a strong dust storm, a huge billboard fell on a petrol station in Ghatkopar, a suburb of Mumbai. This resulted in a fatal accident, which caused the death of at least eight people and left more than 50 others injured. The collapse has left about twenty people trapped under the debris. Thus, they are feared to have been buried.
The horrendous accident happened when the billboard opposite the fuel station fell to the ground in the middle of the refueling facility. The horrible images depicted the metal frame crushing the roofs of several parked cars; thus, the pictures were produced. Eyewitness accounts tell of the chaos and the heroic actions of those who tried to save the people who got caught in the middle of it all.
The authorities have launched rescue operations, and teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are working round the clock to find and save the survivors of the cars buried under the wreckage. City officials are looking into whether the advertisers legally installed the billboard. Eknath Shinde, the Maharashtra Chief Minister, stressed the rescue of people and assured the government to help the injured.
The President also declared that the families of the deceased will be given Rs 5 lakh as compensation. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that a probe into the incident has been launched.The dust storm happened so quickly that Mumbai was not prepared for it. It caused disruption in transportation, trees got uprooted, and other districts had power cuts.
The city’s airport temporarily grounded flight operations, and metro and suburban train services were hampered. The unseasonal rain provided respite from the scorching heat and caused the uprooting of trees and substantial rainfall in some areas. The horrible event is a bitter warning to the authorities that structural safety should be checked during bad weather, and this incident urged the officials to study and examine similar structures around Mumbai.
