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Mumbai: Another shocking video of Ghatkopar hoarding collapse amid dust storm surfaces | Latest updates
Mumbai hoarding collapse: 16 people have died in the Ghatkopar tragedy. On Thursday, disaster response forces concluded the rescue operation.
Three days after a massive billboard collapsed onto a petrol pump in Mumbai's Ghatkopar during a dust storm, a new video has surfaced capturing the moment when the 120 ft x 120 ft hoarding fell on the fuel pump's roof, trapping more than 100 people.
Sixteen people have died so far in Mumbai hoarding tragedy, with 41 others sustaining serious injuries. On Thursday, disaster response forces concluded the rescue operation.
The fresh footage, recorded from a passing car, shows vehicles navigating slowly through the storm, with heavy rain and water streams visible on the road. As the camera turns to the left window, trucks, cars, and motorcycles are seen at the fuel pump, some refuelling while others seek shelter from the rain before the billboard collapses.
Watch the video here:
The incident and its shocking visuals have sparked public outrage over civic negligence in permitting such a massive billboard near the coastline.
Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of the advertising agency responsible for erecting the billboard, faces charges of culpable homicide. Bhavesh Bhinde, who is reportedly evading authorities and has a criminal record with more than 21 cases, including one of rape.
Maharashtra chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of the deceased and assured that the state government will cover the medical expenses of the injured.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation clarified that it had not granted permission for the hoarding and had been addressing the matter with the owner and relevant parties for the past two years. Following the incident, several other large hoardings in the city have been removed.
The operation lasted 66 hours after a giant 120-foot-by-120-foot hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump in the Chheda Nagar area during gusty winds on Monday evening, the official said.
The NDRF official said it was called off at 10:30am on Thursday, adding that BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani announced it after inspecting the site.
Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, the bodies of a retired general manager of Air Traffic Control (ATC) and his wife were pulled out from a car stuck underneath the structure, taking the death toll to 16. The accident has also left 75 people injured.
The official said that five interconnected girders of the hoarding had to be cut one by one to rescue the bodies of the couple.
Speaking to reporters, Gagrani said 16 people have died in the tragedy and the search and rescue operation is now complete at the site.
The civic chief said they had thoroughly checked the site to ensure that no more people were trapped there. Now, he said, the work of clearing the debris will continue throughout the day.
