MUMBAI: A tragic incident in India’s financial hub, Mumbai, resulted in twelve fatalities and at least sixty injuries as a billboard collapsed during a fierce storm on Monday.
Rescuers rushed to the scene, with an excavator digging through the wreckage of the collapsed signage at a petrol station in the city’s east, where dozens of people were trapped underneath.
Gaurav Chauhan, an inspector with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), confirmed that eight bodies had been recovered from the debris, with four more still trapped inside. He explained that removing them was challenging due to the hazardous situation created by the petrol pump.
Municipal authorities reported that 60 people had been rescued and taken to the hospital.
The fallen billboard, measuring 70 by 50 meters, caused significant damage, as mentioned in a post by Mumbai’s police force on social media platform X.
The incident occurred during a period of strong winds, rain, and dust storms on Thursday, which also uprooted trees, caused brief power outages, and disrupted the city’s train network. Flights at the international airport were temporarily suspended, with at least 15 planes diverted.
Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra state, Devendra Fadnavis, stated that the injured were receiving treatment at Rajawadi Hospital and announced a high-level inquiry into the incident.
—AFP/APP
