14 killed, over 60 hurt after advertisement board collapses in Mumbai dust storm

Fourteen people were reportedly killed and 64 injured when a metal hoarding collapsed in Ghatkopar's Pant Nagar area due to heavy rains and strong winds.

The hoarding, which was opposite a fuel station, came crashing down on a fuel station.

"I was there when a big hoarding of some builder fell down. All the cars, bikes and people that were there got stuck. We helped people get out and somehow manage to escape," an eyewitness, Swapnil Khupte, told news agency ANI.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased. News channels and posts on social media showed the towering hoarding billowing in the wind for a while before it gave way and crashed to the ground. The metal frame of the hoarding tore through the roof of several cars that were at the fuel station.

Blinding dust storms engulfed the city, reducing visibility to a few meters. Simultaneously, heavy downpours started, creating a treacherous mix of strong winds and slippery roads.Rescue operations are ongoing. The sudden weather change disrupted Metro and local train services.

The IMD issued a "nowcast warning" for Mumbai at 4 pm, predicting thunderstorms, lightning, and moderate rainfall in isolated areas over the next 3-4 hours. Power supply was also affected in Matunga, Dadar, and Prabhadevi due to the rains.

Heavy downpour and thunderstorms led to the closure of the runway at Mumbai airport, according to reports.

Officials stated that Central Railway traffic was stopped due to the collapse of an overhead wire pole between Mulund and Thane.

Trees were uprooted at a Marathi school in Pant Nagar, Ghatkopar, and at Hingwala Lane in Ghatkopar (East). As a result, Route 481, 381, and 430 buses are diverted via Haveli bridge and operated from Ghatkopar West. Route 27 and 489 buses are operating via the Eastern Express Highway in both directions.