Mumbai Tragedy: Weak foundation blamed for billboard collapse, 17 lives lost

MUMBAI: A technological institute has reported that a billboard collapse in Mumbai last month, which killed 17 people, was due to a weak foundation. The hoarding fell during high winds and unseasonal rain.

The report, submitted to the police, indicates structural negligence and insufficient wind resistance capabilities.

On the day of the incident, wind speeds reached 87 kmph, while the billboard could withstand only 49 kmph. The investigation uncovered that the hoarding was installed without proper foundation support.

This tragic failure led to the arrest of Bhavesh Bhinde, director of the advertising firm responsible for the installation, and structural engineer Manoj Sanghu, who certified the stability of the hoarding.

A former director of the advertising firm, Janhavi Marathe, remains at large after her anticipatory bail plea was rejected.

The BMC's engineer Sunil Dalvi, who had oversight of hoardings in the area, is also under scrutiny for his role in the incident.

He had previously issued and then retracted a notice to the Government Railway Police for installing the illegal hoarding, highlighting the critical oversight that contributed to the collapse.