Mumbai: In the midst of strong winds and a dust storm that swept through Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area early on Monday evening, a large advertising hoarding collapsed, tragically resulting in the loss of fourteen lives and causing injuries to at least 76 individuals.
A civic body reported that there are concerns that some individuals may be trapped beneath the fallen hoarding, prompting an ongoing search and rescue operation. A dramatic video captured the moment when the towering 100-feet white billboard collapsed onto a petrol station in Ghatkopar East. The city and neighboring areas experienced heavy rains and gusty winds on Monday, leading to disruptions in Metro and local train services.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar assured that strict actions would be taken against those accountable for the hoarding collapse. A case has been filed against Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of M/s Ego Media Private Limited, and others, under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, at Pant Nagar police station.
The weather office issued a “nowcast warning,” forecasting thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and moderate to intense rainfall for Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar. An official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that isolated places in Mumbai could experience thunderstorms with lightning, along with light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph within the next 3-4 hours.
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The Mumbai Metro and local train services, crucial components of the city’s public transportation system, faced disruptions due to the unexpected rainfall and ensuing chaos. Metro services came to a halt between Aarey and Andheri East stations as a result of a banner colliding with the overhead wire during strong winds, according to a Metro Rail spokesperson.
Similarly, local train operations were affected when an overhead equipment pole between Thane and Mulund stations was bent by the force of the winds, as reported by an official. Suburban services on the Main Line were also suspended, according to the chief spokesperson of Central Railway.
The dust storm and rainfall that swept through Mumbai became the focal point of online discussions on Monday evening, dominating conversations on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Google’s trending topics across India. Users shared images and videos capturing the intensity of the weather conditions.
Many individuals noted that the rain provided relief from the intense summer heat, adding to the significance of the event in online discourse.