Mumbai hoarding tragedy: Death toll could rise, say officials

The death toll following the collapse of a giant hoarding in Mumbai stands at 14 but this could rise further as authorities are still clearing the debris, officials said on Wednesday.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is engaged in the search and rescue operation at the collapse site in Ghatkopar areas.

Rescue efforts

Media reports quoted unnamed officials as saying that the number of casualties going up in the tragedy cannot be ruled out as the chances of finding survivors were slim.

Two NDRF teams, the fire brigade and the police have been working since the last two days to rescue the people trapped under the billboard that crashed on a petrol pump in Chheda Nagar area on Monday due to strong winds and unseasonal rains.

Two more bodies

So far, 89 people have been pulled out from under the collapsed hoarding. Fourteen of them were declared dead while 75 others were injured.

Two more bodies have been spotted but they are yet to be taken out, the officials said.

Minor fire

Heavy machinery has been deployed for clearing and lifting the steel structure and girder of the billboard that collapsed on the petrol pump as well as a parking lot, one official said.

Cutting and drilling equipment are not being used due to the presence of the petrol pump.

On Wednesday morning, a small fire broke out at the incident site but it was immediately doused by fire tenders.