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A retired Air Traffic Control (ATC) manager, Manoj Chansoria, 60, and his wife Anita, 59, were among the 16 casualties after a 250-tonne hoarding collapsed during a fierce dust storm in Mumbai on Monday. Chansoria, who retired as a general manager of Mumbai ATC in March, and his wife were in Mumbai for visa formalities before returning to Jabalpur, where they had recently relocated.
The storm had struck as the couple stopped at the Ghatkopar petrol pump during their journey back to Jabalpur. Concerned after failed attempts to contact them, their son, residing in the United States, sought assistance from a friend in Mumbai, prompting a missing complaint to be filed with the police.
The bodies of the Chansoria couple were discovered inside their car on Wednesday night at the site of the collapse.
Mumbai hoarding collapse in Ghatkopar
The incident occurred when a 100-foot hoarding came crashing down on a petrol pump in east Mumbai, trapping around 100 people under the debris.
As of 6 am on Thursday, rescue operations managed to extract 89 individuals from the rubble, with 16 fatalities and 75 injuries reported. Although 32 injured persons have been discharged from hospitals, 42 others continue to receive medical treatment.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of such massive structures, especially in a city susceptible to high-speed winds due to its proximity to the sea.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) prohibits hoardings larger than 40x40 feet, yet this hoarding, spanning 120x120 feet, exceeded regulations. On Wednesday, BMC released a statement bringing attention to the added risk posed by flammable materials stored at the petrol pump, necessitating careful rescue efforts to prevent fire incidents.
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BMC officially called off the search and rescue operation at the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse site in Mumbai at 10:30 am on Thursday, an official of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said.
The operation went on for 66 hours.
Charges against advertising agency responsible for Mumbai hoarding
The owner of the advertising agency responsible for the hoarding, Bhavesh Bhinde, faces charges of culpable homicide, adding to his extensive legal history, which includes allegations of rape.
In response to the tragedy, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased and pledged government coverage for the medical expenses of the injured.
(With agency inputs)
