Mega billboard collapses, 12 dead and 60 injured in India

(ANSA) – MUMBAI (INDIA), MAY 14 – Twelve people were killed and at least 60 injured when an advertising billboard collapsed during a violent storm in Mumbai, the financial capital of India. The local authorities reported this yesterday evening. The collapse occurred at a petrol station in the eastern part of the city, trapping dozens of people. Eight bodies have already been recovered from the rubble, said Gaurav Chauhan, inspector of the Natural Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Four other bodies are still buried in the rubble, he added. The collapsed billboard measured 70×50 metres, according to the Mumbai police force. The Indian city was hit by strong winds accompanied by rain and dust storms on Thursday that uprooted trees and caused brief power outages in some parts of the metropolis, along with disruptions to the city’s rail network. Indian media reports that flights have been temporarily suspended at Mumbai International Airport, with at least 15 planes diverted. Devendra Fadnavis, deputy prime minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra, said the injured were being treated at Rajawadi hospital. “A high-level probe into the incident has been ordered,” Fadnavis added. (HANDLE).