At least 14 people are killed in a massive billboard collapse in Mumbai during a storm

In Mumbai, a huge billboard toppled during a thunderstorm, leaving at least 14 people dead and 75 injured.

Tuesday’s catastrophic tragedy in Mumbai, India’s thriving financial center, saw a huge billboard collapse during a thunderstorm, resulting in at least 14 fatalities and 75 injuries. Many people are still buried beneath the debris, prompting a desperate attempt to save them.

Videos showed the terrifying moment the enormous hoarding—bigger than an Olympic swimming pool—broke under the force of high winds and crashed into homes and a gas station in the Ghatkopar region of eastern India. The disaster struck during a severe dust storm and torrential rain, which caused traffic gridlock and interfered with aircraft operations at Mumbai airport.

The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reports that the injured were sent to hospitals quickly, and that 31 of them have already been released. It is shocking to learn that the organization in charge of the billboard did not have a BMC permit for its placement. The hoarding was significantly larger than allowed and constituted a blatant breach of safety standards, covering an astonishing 1,338 square meters—nine times the maximum allowed size for a hoarding.

As a result, the BMC has mandated that all hoardings that belong to the organization be taken down right now. Maharashtra state chief minister Eknath Shinde promised strict measures to avert such tragedies, including a structural audit of all Mumbai billboards and the immediate removal of dangerous ones.

“Instructions have been given to conduct a structural audit of all hoardings in Mumbai and immediately take down dangerous ones in order to prevent such accidents from happening again,” he stated.

There are still a number of vehicles and perhaps 25 people trapped under the debris, which emphasizes how urgent the rescue effort is.

The fire department, police, and emergency response teams are also involved in the ongoing rescue operations. The gasoline pump, however, makes it impossible to utilize gas cutters at the location, impeding the attempts.