Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Family members of those who died seek accountability

The billboard that fell on a petrol station during the dust storm. Pic/Sameer Markande

In the hoarding collapse tragedy at Ghatkopar during the unexpected shower and dust storm on Monday, around 14 died, and more than 74 were seriously injured. Most of the deceased had only visited the petrol pump to refill their CNG vehicles while a few were working at this Bharat Petroleum station.

mid-day spoke with the families of those who died in this incident, revealing how they received the news about their loved ones trapped under the hoarding. Most of the people trapped under the hoarding called their loved ones and asked for help. Locals told mid-day that many phones are still ringing under the collapsed hoarding.

Sachin Yadav's family

Dilip Paswan, an optical fibre engineer and a resident of Andheri MIDC, visited the petrol pump with two staff members in a company car to refill CNG. Paswan arrived at the petrol station after completing his first site visit in the afternoon.

Speaking with mid-day, Raju Paswan, brother of the deceased Dilip Paswan, said, "My brother Dilip Paswan was married to Punita and had three kids. A coworker informed us about the incident, and I reached the spot to find my brother rescued by the fire brigade, but he was declared dead before being admitted to the Rajawadi Hospital. My brother Dilip was the only earning member of his household, and his wife Punita is a housewife. We request the government to provide her with a government job and compensation for this significant loss to our family."

The 24-year-old petrol pump employee

The co-workers were seriously injured in this incident, with fractures to their necks and hands. Another victim Mohamad Akram Siddhiqui, 48, an auto driver and resident of Kamraj Nagar in Ghatkopar, lived with his wife Shamin Banu, and daughter Shabnam, 18, who is a college student.

Mohmmad Raja, brother of Mohammad Akram Siddiqui, said, "My brother left home, saying he would first refill the CNG in the auto and then start work. After lunch, he rested for a while before leaving for work. He visited the petrol pump and was standing in the CNG queue when the large hoarding suddenly fell on him. My brother died on the spot. We only request the government to provide compensation in the form of a government job to his child to secure her future, as he was the sole breadwinner of the family." Sachin Yadav, 24, had been working at this petrol pump for the last 1.5 years. He got married two years ago and has a three-month-old child.

His uncle Sunil Yadav said, "We received a video of the collapsed hoarding in a group and found out that it was the same petrol pump where Sachin Yadav was working. We tried calling him, but he didn't respond to any calls. We rushed to the spot and found him trapped under the collapsed hoarding. A few hours later, the fire brigade officials rescued him, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at Rajawadi Hospital."

Fahim Khan, Mohammad Akram Siddiqui and Bashir Shaikh

Fahim Khan, who is in the catering business, was another victim of the tragic incident. A relative said, "Fahim was in a tempo headed for a catering event. When they reached the highway, the tempo driver decided to refill the CNG, so they stopped at the pump. Suddenly, the hoarding fell on the tempo, and he died on the spot."

Bashir Shaikh, a resident of Worli and a taxi driver, was carrying two passengers in his taxi. While refilling the CNG, the hoarding fell on his taxi, trapping and killing him. Hanshnath Gupta, 79, a resident of Vikhroli and a taxi driver, was trapped under the large hoarding at the petrol pump.

His best friend, Motilal Shrivastava, said, "We've been friends since 1965. He has three children, one settled in the US, and two daughters in Mumbai. He called me half an hour before the incident, and I invited him to my grandson's birthday party. He said he'd come at 8 pm, but later, I received news that he was also trapped in the hoarding collapse incident. I lost my best friend."