Mumbai Hoarding Collapse Shocks Actors Soni Razdan And Vijay Varma; Civic Officials Investigate

Mumbai, May 14 (PTI) — Actors Soni Razdan and Vijay Varma expressed shock and disappointment on Tuesday after a 100-foot-tall illegal billboard fell at a petrol pump, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 people and injuring 74. The incident occurred in the Ghatkopar area during dust storms and unseasonal rains that hit Mumbai on Monday, according to civic officials. The billboard was illegal, and no permission had been obtained for its installation, they added.

Razdan tagged the local civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on X, demanding an explanation for the alleged oversight. "Why do they only discover the hoarding is illegal AFTER it's killed 8 people and injured others? And isn't the body or persons responsible then liable for prosecution? @mybmc @zoru75," the "Raazi" actor wrote.

Varma reshared a video of the hoarding collapse on his Instagram Story, captioning it as: "Oh no." Popular host Mini Mathur shared the news update on her Instagram Story, stating that life in our country has "zero value." "Whose hoarding is it? Who allowed it to stand there for years? The blame game this week will lead to no answers and the corrupt nexus that allowed the open flouting of rules will never be taken apart. Disgusting," Mathur wrote.

A case has been registered against Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of M/s Ego Media Private Limited, and others for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at Pant Nagar police station, another official said. Search and rescue operations were underway at the Chheda Nagar-based petrol pump on Tuesday morning, according to BMC officials.

Government Response

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the incident spot late Monday evening and has ordered a structural audit of all hoardings in the city. He also announced an aid of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each person killed in the collapse.