Traffic congestion at Ghatkopar on Eastern Express Highway towards Mulund. today, May 14 due to ongoing rescue operations at the site of a hoarding collapse in Mumbai's Ghatkopar on Monday due to strong winds and rough weather.
A large hoarding collapsed near a petrol pump on the Eastern Express Highway in Ghatkopar on Monday evening, which claimed 14 lives and more than 74 people rescued from the site. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been conducting rescue operations for those trapped since then.
Also Read | Mumbai Hoarding Collapse: Death Toll Rises to 14, Over 70 Injured After Billboard Collapses in Ghatkopar.
Traffic Jam on Eastern Express Highway in Mumbai
NDRF assistant commandant Nikhil Mudholkar said, "A total of 88 people were rescued, of whom 14 were declared dead by doctors and 31 were discharged... The problem is that we are unable to use our gasoline-based cutting equipment because there is a petrol pump here. Two NDRF teams are present here.”
Mumbai police have registered a case under IPC 304, 338, 337, and 34 against owner Bhavesh Bhide and others at Pantnagar police station.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has also announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. Shinde also said that the government will bear all expenses for the treatment of those injured.
"There are two teams including 53 personnel. We are continuing this operation for last 18 hours. We have so far recovered 14 bodies and 74 injured persons. They have been sent to hospitals. The hoarding fell on petrol pump and hence we are not using the cutting equipment. It can cause spark and create other scenario. We used hydraulic crane but it was not successful. We are using manual technique. The operation is expected to be over by this evening," said NDRF Inspector Gaurav Chauhan said.