As at the time of filing this report, 14 people have died and 75 others left injured after a billboard larger than an Olympic swimming pool fell on them during a thunderstorm in Mumbai —India’s financial capital, according to the authorities on Tuesday.
There are fears that there are dozens more people still feared trapped.
Videos shared online showed the towering billboard billowing in the wind before collapsing on houses and a fuel station next to a busy road in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar on Monday, as a dust storm and rain lashed the city in the evening. The billboard collapse, brought traffic to a standstill and disrupted flights at Mumbai airport.
Mumbai’s municipal corporation (BMC) reported that at least 75 injured people were taken to hospitals after the accident and 31 have been discharged so far.
The BMC had also revealed that the agency owning the billboard had no permit from the municipal body to put up the hoarding.
The hoarding reportedly measures about 1,338 square metres (14,400 square feet), BMC said, bigger than an Olympic pool’s 1,250 sq m and nine times more than the maximum allowed size for a hoarding.
The municipal body has said that it has instructed the agency to remove all its hoardings immediately.
Why It Matters
This tragic incident of a collapsed billboard in Mumbai that claimed the lives of 14 individuals and injured many others, is a stark reminder of the potential dangers posed by unregulated structures especially during extreme weather conditions.
The sheer size of the billboard, which is reportedly larger than an Olympic swimming pool, and the fact that the agency responsible for the billboard did not possess the necessary permits spotlights the lapses in oversight and enforcement by the municipal authorities.
Beyond the immediate loss of life and injuries, the collapse also caused severe traffic gridlock, further emphasizing the far-reaching impacts of inadequate infrastructure maintenance.
This incident should serve as a warning prompt to the relevant authorities to ensure proper inspection and regulation of billboards and other structures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Bottom Line
The collapsed billboard tragedy in Mumbai reveals the urgent need for a stricter enforcement of building permits and safety standards to prevent future occurrence of such incidents and protect public safety.
