Rescue workers on Wednesday night retrieved two more bodies from a car at the site where a 120x120 feet hoarding came crashing down on a petrol pump at Chheda Nagar in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area following gusty winds and unseasonal rain on Monday evening, taking the death toll to 16. Search operations are still under way nearly 55 hours after the illegal hoarding collapsed. So far, 75 people have been rescued from the site.
“It is one of the most challenging operations we have ever done. Until all the vehicles stuck under the debris are not checked, we won’t know the total count of bodies. We have to be extra careful before taking any step as inflammable material at the petrol pump could cause a fire. This is the only reason for the delay in rescue operations,” National Disaster Response Force official Gaurav Chauhan said.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the hoarding stood on a piece of land in possession of the Government Railway Police (GRP). The police probe has pointed out that Ego Media Private Limited, the agency which put up the hoarding, failed to meet the standards set for soil checks and structural audits of the structure’s pillars.
