Hawker dies, one hurt as tree falls in south Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai

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A 50-year-old hawker died, while a 36-year-old pedestrian suffered injuries in a tree fall incident at Abhyudaya Nagar, Kalachowki, on Friday.

The incident took place around 4.20pm, following which locals and authorities rushed the duo to KEM Hospital, where the hawker was declared dead on admission. The authorities are yet to establish his identity.

The injured pedestrian, Shoheb Shaikh, is undergoing treatment and his condition is said to be stable, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) disaster management control team said. A BMC official said, “The tree was inside a Mhada residential society and fell on the road killing where the hawker and the pedestrian were present. The cause of the tree fall is yet to be ascertained, as we don’t have a written complaint from the residents of the society stating that the tree needs to be trimmed.”

“We will conduct a survey of all the trees in the surroundings to see if any tree requires pruning,” the official added.

This year, seven people have lost their lives in tree-fall incidents across the city. Before monsoon, the BMC had identified 492 trees as dangerous.