Mumbai Rainstorm: Recently, Mumbai witnessed a massive rainstorm, during which a 100-foot-tall hoarding/billboard fell on a petrol pump amid gusty winds on Monday evening. The incident happened in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, and the death count has risen to 14 with over 70 sustained injuries. As many as 88 people have been rescued do far, and at least 31 of them have been discharged from the hospital. According to civic officials, the billboard was illegal which got uprooted and fell on a petrol pump at the Cheddanagar Junction in Ghatkopar amid gusty wind and rain. 

A Rescuer from the NDRF, Aapda Mitra, while speaking to the media, said that around 80 people have been rescued safely, and almost all the bodies have been taken out. “There is one red car which has been severely damaged. We suspect there are some people trapped inside the car,” he told news agency ANI. The unseasonal rain and dust storms also led to the suspension of flight operations at Mumbai airport for an hour in the evening due to low visibility, services of local trains were delayed while traffic snarls were seen in several areas. As many as 15 flights were diverted to different airports, and the runway operation resumed at 5.03 pm, the airport operator said. 

The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, took the cognisance of the incident, termed it ‘unfortunate’, and directed the concerned authorities to audit all such hoardings in Mumbai. He also announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh to the victims’ next of kin. CM Shinde also said that the government will bear all expenses to treat those injured. “It is a very unfortunate incident. The government will probe it, and the people responsible will face action. I have also asked the BMC commissioner to conduct a structural audit of all the hoardings in the city. Those found illegal and dangerous will be removed,” the CM told the media.