Mumbai: The collapse of the massive billboard in Ghatkopar on May 13th has proved fatal as the death toll reached 14 in the early hours of Tuesday. At least 74 people have been injured in the incident. As rescue operations are still underway, questions are being raised about the illegal hoarding and the role played by the administration in the accident.
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Now, in a shocking discovery, it was revealed that the authorities were already informed about the dangers posed by the hoarding through a letter. Salim Pathan, a resident of Ghatkopar, had penned a letter to concerned authorities in August last year regarding the illegal hoarding at the Bharat Petroleum Pump near Police Staff Quarters in Ghatkopar East.
In the letter, Pathan draws attention to a previous instance in Pune when a collapsed hoarding in Pune had claimed five lives in Pune. The petrol pump near the Eastern Express Highway and Ghatkopar Railway Police Colony saw an illegal hoarding put on its premises. Pathan in his letter urges authorities to remove the hoarding to avoid the repetition of what happened in Pune. Complaints were made in May 2023 and reference letters were sent to concerned authorities such as Railways and BMC.
Despite the urges of citizens, no action was taken to remove the hoarding. On Monday 13th May, Mumbai witnessed unseasonal rains and storms which ended up toppling the 70-meter-tall billboard. While Mumbai Police have registered a case against the ad agency and others involved, the ignored letter has evoked several questions on the accountability of the administration.