Flight operations hit amid rain and dust storms in Mumbai
MUMBAI: Flight operations at Mumbai airport were suspended for an hour on Monday and local trains were delayed amid unseasonal rains, accompanied by a dust storm.
A 100-foot tall illegal billboard fell on a petrol pump at the Cheddanagar Junction in Ghatkopar area, killing at least three persons and injuring 59 others, even as a search and rescue operation is going on.
In another rain-related incident, an under-construction metal parking tower collapsed on a road amid gusty wind in Wadala area, injuring three persons and damaging vehicles.
As many as 15 flights were diverted to different airports and the runways operation resumed at 5.03 pm, the airport operator said.
“Due to the inclement weather and dust storms in the city, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) temporarily suspended flight operations for around 66 min due to low visibility and gusty winds,” it said in a statement.
Till the operations resumed, the airport witnessed 15 diversions, the statement said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister
Eknath Shinde visited the spot of the hoarding collapse incident in Ghatkopar late in the evening.
A senior civic official said an NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) team has reached the spot where the hoarding collapsed and a search and rescue operation is underway.
“Machinery
including
cranes for lifting the hoarding and gas cutters has arrived at the spot,” the official said.
“As many as 100 people are feared trapped under the hoarding. 62 people have been pulled out so far, of which three are dead, while 59 others are injured and rushed to separate hospitals,” the official said.
Mumbai Police tweeted in the evening: “Today, on 13/05/2024, around 16:30, a sudden storm and heavy rain led to a devastating incident. A metal girder from a billboard, sized 70/50 meters, collapsed at the Railway Petrol Pump, Samta Colony, Ghatkopar (E), injuring 37 people.
“Approximately
50-60 individuals are still believed to be trapped. Our officials, alongside the Fire Brigade, @mybmc, and Mahanagar Gas Ltd, are on-site conducting a search and rescue operation”.
Speaking to media persons after visiting the disaster control room at the civic headquarters, Mumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said the hoarding was illegal as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had not given permission (for erecting it).