The massive hoarding that collapsed in India’s Mumbai and killed at least 14 people was once recognised as India’s largest billboard in Limca Book of Records, but did not have proper clearances, it has emerged.
The billboard was put up without authorisation from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), reports said. An FIR, or first information report, is being launched against Ego Media, the ad agency responsible for the hoarding.
The agency had erected the hoarding on a plot leased to the Police Welfare Corporation by the Police Housing Division of the Maharashtra government.
In the premises, four hoardings were set up by Ego Media, one of which collapsed on Monday evening (May 12).
Even though Ego Media had taken permission for all four hoardings, which included the one that collapsed from the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Railways), the BMC had not given any authorisation or No Objection Certificate (NOC) before their installation.
The BMC allows a maximum hoarding size of 40 x 40 square feet. The billboard which collapsed measured 120 x 120 square feet.
Now, the BMC has issued notices to the Railway Police’s ACP and the Railway Commissioner, seeking cancellation of all permissions granted by the Railways.
BMC’s Additional Commissioner Ashwini Joshi gave the order to remove the rest of the hoardings as per the Disaster Management Act.
The Government Railway Police has accepted the order.
How a billboard collapse killed 14 people
The huge billboard, located opposite a fuel station in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area, crashed down with massive force amid a wild storm in the west Indian megapolis.
CCTV captured the structure crashing through the roofs of several cars before falling on the ground.
Two teams were dispatched by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to assist the Mumbai Fire Brigade and other agencies in the rescue operation.
“A total of 88 people were rescued, of whom 14 were declared dead by doctors and 31 were discharged,” said NDRF assistant commandant Nikhil Mudholkar.
