NEW DELHI, May 13: At least eight persons were killed and 64 others injured in a freak accident when a massive billboard that collapsed on a fuel station amid a strong dust storm in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar on Monday evening.
As the rescue operations were still on, police said some more people were feared trapped under the collapsed massive billboard. The billboard was opposite the fuel station. Visuals show the structure crashing down right in the middle of the refuelling facility.
The metal frame of the billboard tore through the roof of several cars that were at the fuel station. The police said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are at the site, and are looking for survivors trapped under the debris. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a post on X said the state government has ordered an investigation into the incident.
Mumbai was caught off guard by the strong dust storm, which crippled transport, uprooted trees and structures, and led to power outage in many districts of the financial capital. The sky turned dark when the dust storm hit the city, with people posting visuals on social media.
Local trains, a section of the metro network, and airport services were temporarily stopped amid a darkening sky.
(Manas Dasgupta)
