On the night of May 13, 2024, Mumbai, India's largest city, was hit by strong winds and thunderstorms. In the sudden, a billboard at a gas station in the Gatkopal district in the eastern part of the city collapsed, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 70. The tragedy has once again raised concerns about the safety of India's infrastructure.
According to Indian media reports, the height of the collapsed billboard is about 30 meters, which is equivalent to the height of a 10-story building, and its horizontal length is also very large, about 20 meters, and the width is also two or three meters, indicating that it is a very large giant billboard, its skeleton is made of iron material, and there are plastic plates printed with advertisements on the surface. Obviously, such a giant billboard is dangerous in strong winds.
Under the strong winds and thunderstorms on the night of May 13, the billboard failed to withstand the test and eventually collapsed and smashed into vehicles and pedestrians on the ground, resulting in several deaths and injuries. The metal frame also smashed the roofs of several cars at a nearby gas station, trapping vehicles and people, and rescuers used equipment such as cranes and cutters to rescue them.
India's National Disaster Response Force also went to the scene to rescue the workers. But due to the chaos and damage caused by the collapse of the billboard, the rescue effort faced great difficulties.
So why can't such a huge billboard withstand strong winds, and can only stand in a place where people come and go? The investigation revealed that the collapsed billboard was illegally installed. This means that it may not have followed the necessary safety standards and regulations during its design and construction.
This illegal behavior not only poses a safety hazard to the billboard itself, but also poses a huge risk to surrounding residents and passers-by. The local police and relevant departments have launched an investigation into the matter, and will investigate the responsibility of those responsible in accordance with the law. But if it's not legal, why can the billboard be erected and stand there all the time? There must have been some shady manipulation in the meantime.
Why can a billboard collapse kill 14 people and injure more than 70 people? There are two reasons for this, on the one hand, because the billboard is very large, and when it falls, it hits the ground like a wall, and its huge impact is enough to cause serious damage to people and vehicles around it when pushed by strong winds.
On the other hand, it is also related to the location of the billboard and the surrounding environment. This billboard is located in a high-traffic area or next to a road, and its collapse is more likely to cause a large number of casualties.
In fact, the death and injury of a billboard in India also happened in 2018, when on October 5, a 12.2-meter-high billboard frame suddenly collapsed in Pune, India, killing four people, seriously injuring five others, and crushing at least six rickshaws, a sedan and three two-wheelers.
The tragedy of the collapse of billboards, which killed and injured people, has not only raised concerns about the safety of billboards in Mumbai, but also raised widespread concerns about the quality of India's infrastructure. In fact, India has always had many problems in the construction of bridges, roads and other infrastructure. For example, in the past few years, accidents such as bridge collapses and road collapses have occurred in many places in India, resulting in a large number of casualties and property damage. These accidents are often related to problems such as cutting corners and illegal operations during the construction process.
India's infrastructure development needs to be addressed urgently. The government should strengthen its supervision to ensure that all construction projects meet safety standards and regulations. At the same time, illegal construction and violations of regulations should be severely cracked down on to safeguard public safety and interests. Only in this way can we reduce the occurrence of similar tragedies and ensure the safety of people's lives and property.
Source: Xinhuanet reported on May 14 that "14 dead and 70 injured as a billboard collapsed in Mumbai, India"