Mumbai, May 14: In a devastating turn of events, the death toll from the overnight hoarding collapse in Mumbai has climbed to 14, with four more individuals succumbing to their injuries in the hospital, as confirmed by the BMC Disaster Control on Tuesday.
The incident unfolded amidst a sudden duststorm, accompanied by strong winds and rains, which ravaged the city on Monday noon. A massive advertising hoarding, erected by a private party, was uprooted and crashed onto several homes and a petrol pump in Pant Magar around 4:15 p.m., leaving scores injured and trapped.
Rescue operations persisted late into Monday night, with teams from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, MDRF, and MMRDA working tirelessly to extricate over 60 people trapped under the debris.
Tragically, another disaster struck as a multi-storeyed vertical steel parking lot collapsed near Shreeji Towers in Wadala, crushing a dozen vehicles. Additionally, two more lives were lost in other duststorm-related incidents, causing disruptions to road traffic and airport operations for 66 minutes.
Responding to the calamity, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered a comprehensive investigation by BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and Mumbai Police. "I have also directed BMC authorities to conduct a special audit of all hoardings in Mumbai and remove any illegal structures," stated Shinde, announcing an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased.
