Mumbai: Tree fall at Vile Parle misses dandiya event by metres

Cops and locals at the place where tree was uprooted yesterday.

A 30-year-old banyan tree that got uprooted in Sunday's downpour, almost crashed onto a dandiya event at Vile Parle on Sunday. While no one was hurt in the incident, a motorbike parked under it was completely crushed.

The incident happened around 9.20pm and brought traffic in both directions on Shahaji Raje road to a halt for about an hour. The dandiya event was scrapped for the rest of the night.

m,According to local residents, "The incessant rain must have weakened the roots, because the entire tree came out of the ground." A participant at the dandiya event said, "The dandiya programme was on when suddenly we heard the loud sound of a tree falling. Luckily, no one was around the tree. The spot where the tree fell was just a few metres from the dandiya venue."

Cops and locals at the place where tree was uprooted yesterday.

A police officer said, "The fire brigade and police were informed about the incident. While the local police managed the traffic situation, the fire brigade cleared the fallen tree. The cause could have been the constant downpour on Sunday."

As per figures with the disaster management cell, as many as 148 complaints of trees falling were received on October 1. The most complaints were received from the western suburbs where the rain took a toll on 72 trees. Between mid-September and September 26, south Mumbai had 51 tree-fall complaints, whereas 22 complaints came from the eastern suburbs.