02 August,2024 05:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Prasun Choudhari
The collapsed wooden hoarding
A wooden hoarding at Sahajanand Chowk in Kalyan collapsed on Friday morning at 10.18 am, causing minor damage to three vehicles. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported. Eyewitnesses said that the incident occurred suddenly, with the hoarding crashing down onto the parked cars, creating a loud noise and momentary chaos in the vicinity. The affected cars sustained minor damage, with dented bodies and scratches being the most visible signs of the impact.
Local authorities quickly arrived at the scene to assess the situation. Traffic was briefly diverted to allow for the clearance of debris and to prevent any further accidents. One of the car owners said, "It's a miracle that no one was around or inside the parked vehicles when it happened. The damage to the cars needs to be fixed, but at least no lives were lost," he said, recollecting the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse incident.
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"The exact cause of the collapse is yet to be determined, but initial speculations point towards the recent rain and strong winds weakening the structure. An investigation has been launched to determine the reasons behind the incident," said officials from Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC).
Is the damage compensated in such situations?
According to Adv Jyotishwar Bhosle, "In such cases, the individual has to file a civil suit for compensation. If the hoarding belonged to the municipal corporation, they would be sent a summons. If it belonged to some private individual or organisation, they will be sent a summons for hearing." He added, "The amount of compensation depends from judge to judge as there is no fixed bracket while giving a verdict."
District Information officer of Thane told mid-day, "In such cases, if the hoarding belongs to the government, the tehsildar does the panchnama. If the hoarding belongs to a private individual or organisation, the police and tehsildar conduct the panchnama and register an incident report." He added, "Meanwhile if the area falls under a municipal corporation, the municipal corporation, police, and tehsildar do the panchnama. This is then used for compensation claims. The claimant can also claim insurance for damaged property."
