At least 14 people were killed when a billboard collapsed at a CNG petrol station in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar on Monday, most of whom were either refueling or taking shelter from the rain that was lashing the place when the incident took place.
Trapped under a collapsed billboard and rescued after a grueling two hours, Balaji Shinde of Pant Nagar had gone to a petrol pump to refuel his vehicle.
“We were going to Belapur (Navi Mumbai) this evening for a family function, so he (Balaji Shinde) decided to refuel the vehicle in advance. When he reached the spot, the billboard collapsed,” said Balaji Shinde’s wife Rama.
Swabnil Gupte, a resident of Govandi, stopped at a petrol pump to escape the storm and rain. “Suddenly the plank fell on us and we were trapped underneath. We were able to get out on our own. We could hear people screaming for help, but I couldn’t do anything,” Swapnil Gupte told The Indian Express. Apart from minor injuries he sustained a major injury to his right eye.
Cousins Shubham Gangurde, 17, and Varun Thorat from Ramabai had gone to a petrol pump to fill up Shubham’s scooter. “As I got a phone call, I went outside the pump and saw the billboard collapsing… Shubham got stuck while queuing up for fuel,” said Varun Thorat. Shubham Gangurde sustained a back injury and is undergoing treatment at Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar.
Gopal Dutt, a taxi driver from Tilak Nagar, was trapped under a collapsed billboard when he stopped at a petrol pump to refuel his car. Gopal Dutt was trapped for almost three hours before he was rescued by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Meanwhile, Gopal Dutt sent SOS (emergency call) messages to his family members and colleagues from his mobile phone.
“We reached the spot around 7.30 pm and within half an hour, our father was rescued by the rescue team,” said his daughter on condition of anonymity. Gopal Dutt injured his back.
According to witnesses, the billboard fell like a tree uprooted. Petrol pump customer Saeed Bansopkar said, “When I saw the big board falling down, I ran out to ensure my safety. But my brother who was with me was trapped inside… Luckily he escaped as the board fell on a truck and the people below sustained minor injuries,” he said.
“When the strong wind started blowing, the billboard swayed and made noise… Fearing that it might collapse, many people started moving from there and within minutes, the billboard hit the petrol pump,” said Sadiq Hussain, a resident of the area.
