Fourteen Dead, Over 70 Hurt, Collapsed Mumbai Billboard Was 'Illegal': Reports
The Wire Staff
New Delhi: A day after a billboard fell during a rain and dust storm in Mumbai, leading to the death of 14 people and causing injuries in nearly 74 others, a report finds that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had had it on its radar for violations for a while now.
The collapse of the tall billboard in Ghatkopar’s Pant Nagar took place during the storm, which lasted for all of an hour. It fell on a petrol pump.
Midday has reported that search operations were still on the next morning.
Besides, in the locality of Wadala, two people were injured after a scaffolding collapsed.
Indian Express has reported that the hoarding had long been flagged as illegal. It quoted civic authorities as saying that while the BMC allows a maximum hoarding size of 40 square feet, the collapsed billboard was three times in size, at 120 square feet.
Mumbai's Pantnagar police station filed an FIR against Bhavesh Bhide, Ego Media's director, as well as other unnamed Ego Media employees on Monday evening under sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing hurt or serious injury by acting rashly or negligently, as well as mischief causing damages worth Rs 50 or more.
The local ward office on May 13 issued a notice to the agency M/s Ego Media, which maintains this and more billboards, asking them to dismantle the structure and remove all hoardings with immediate effect.
Mint has additionally reported that BMC has given the firm ten days to remove the eight hoardings. It has also threatened to cancel licences for any hoardings in 24 civic wards.
The civic body's tree department had registered police complaints in December 2023 and April 2024, saying that trees like the "Subabul, Peepal and Peltophorum that were planted in the periphery of the billboard had perished mysteriously," according to the Express report.
Crucially, the civic authorities also told Express that the agency did not have its permission to run this billboard.
Unseasonal rains caused power disruptions and traffic snarls across Mumbai and Thane yesterday.
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