The National Disaster Response Force has called off the search and rescue operation at Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area, where a giant hoarding had collapsed on Monday following a sudden dust storm. A total of 16 lives were lost in the tragic incident, while 75 others were injured.
The operation was called off this morning, hours after the bodies of a retired general manager of Air Traffic Control and his wife were pulled out from a car stuck underneath the structure. Speaking to reporters after inspecting the site, Mumbai’s civic commissioner Bhushan Gangrani said they have thoroughly checked the site to ensure that no one else is trapped under the debris.
Even as the work continues to remove the debris from the incident site, the commissioner said action is also being taken on a war footing to remove all illegal hoardings. He clarified that it is not just the size of hoardings but the owners must fulfill specifications like strong foundation, structural stability and air movement before installing any hoarding.
Disclaimer: This press release is sourced from News On AIR, Prasar Bharti and Press Information Bureau India (PIB).
