Prashant Waidande – Reuters
The billboard fell on a gas station after a wind and dust storm in Mumbai, India, on May 13, 2024.
At least four people died, 61 were injured and more than 40 others were feared trapped after a massive billboard fell during a rainstorm in India’s financial capital Mumbai on Monday, local officials said.
The rainstorm was accompanied by gusty winds, causing the billboard, located next to a busy road in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar, to collapse onto some houses and a petrol pump.
The process of rescuing people trapped under the billboard is still ongoing. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the civic body that runs Mumbai city, said on X that fire services, police, disaster response officials and other authorities are all involved in the rescue efforts.
News channels and social media posts showed the towering billboard billowing in the wind for some time before collapsing and crashing to the ground.
Stringer/Reuters
Firefighters stand next to vehicles crushed by a fallen billboard during a rainstorm in Mumbai, India, on May 13, 2024.
The local meteorological department forecast moderate rain accompanied by gusty winds of up to 40-50 kilometers per hour (25-30 mph) likely in parts of the Mumbai region on Monday.
There was a temporary disruption of flights at Mumbai airport, with 15 flights diverted and operations suspended for just over an hour, news agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake, reported.
Mumbai, like many Indian cities, is exposed to severe flooding and rain-related accidents during the monsoon season, which usually lasts from June to September every year.
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