Ex-ATC manager, wife, among 16 killed in Ghatkopar hoarding collapse
What's the story
A retired Air Traffic Control (ATC) manager and his wife were among the 16 people killed when a 250-ton billboard collapsed during a severe dust storm on Monday in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. The couple, identified as Manoj Chansoria and Anita, were found dead inside their car on Wednesday night at a petrol pump in east Mumbai. According to reports, the couple had stopped at the fuel station to refill petrol after finishing their work when the board crashed on them.
Missing report
Couple found after son alerts friend in Mumbai
Authorities were notified of the couple's missing status when their son, who lives in the United States, was unable to contact his parents. He then alerted a friend in Mumbai. The friend subsequently filed a missing persons report, which led police to track the couple's mobile phones to their last known location near the Ghatkopar petrol pump. Later, search and rescue teams retrieved the couple's bodies from the car about midnight on Wednesday.
Aftermath
Search and rescue operation is still ongoing
An official of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said the search and rescue operation is still ongoing at the hoarding collapse site, and they cannot rule out the possibility that there are no more victims. The collapse resulted in a total of 16 fatalities and injured 41 others. Among those rescued, 34 have survived and were discharged after receiving treatment from various Mumbai hospitals.
Legal action
Billboard owner faces charges, government announces compensation
Meanwhile, a case of culpable homicide has been filed against Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of the advertising agency responsible for erecting the billboard. On Wednesday, the police in Mumbai and Gujarat launched a joint search operation for Bhinde, the director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd—the advertising agency that owns the billboard that collapsed in Mumbai. Notably, the hoarding was three times the size permitted by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) regulations. The BMC does not allow hoardings larger than 40x40 feet.
Investigation findings
Bhinde fined 21 times for municipal violations
In addition to the billboard collapse case, there are two other cases registered against Bhinde in Mulund for rape, molestation, and cheating. An officer at the Mulund police station said that, Bhinde had been fined 21 times for various violations under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, prior to 2009. Bhinde also ran as an independent candidate in the Maharashtra assembly election from the Mulund constituency in 2009.