The sign collapsed on some houses and a gas station next to a busy road in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar due to gusty winds and rain.
At least 14 people were killed and dozens more injured after a huge billboard fell on them during a storm in Mumbai, India's financial capital, according to local authorities.
The sign collapsed on some houses and a gas station next to a busy road in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar following gusty winds and rain late on Monday.
Many other people were trapped after the incident and rescue operations continued into the early hours of Tuesday. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation said 74 people were taken to hospital with injuries following the accident, of whom 31 have been discharged.
The rains, accompanied by strong winds, caused the 30-metre-high billboard next to a busy road in Chheda Nagar area of Ghatkopar to fall on a petrol station and some houses on Monday night.
The Press Trust of India news agency, citing police officials, reported that the billboard was installed illegally.
On Monday night, Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state, said a high-level probe into the incident had been ordered and strict action would be taken against those responsible.
“A high-level investigation has been ordered into the incident,” Fadnavis said in a post on X.
Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra, was hit by strong winds accompanied by rain and dust storms that uprooted trees and caused brief power outages in parts of the city, as well as disruptions to the city's railway network.
The storm paralyzed traffic in parts of the city and disrupted operations at its airport, one of the busiest in the country, with at least 15 flights diverted.
India sees heavy rains and severe flooding during the monsoon season between June and September, which provides most of its annual rainfall. Rain is crucial for agriculture but often causes great damage.
