Authors 8-year-old warning resurfaces after billboard collapse in Mumbai kills 16 people

In Ghatkopar, a 120 by 120 feet illegal hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump due to the storm, killing 16 and injuring more than 100.

Eight years before a hoarding collapsed in Mumbai’ Ghatkopar and killed at least 16 people, author Amitav Ghosh had warned about the potential dangers of the billboards in the financial capital of the country.

Following the tragedy on Monday, Ghosh shared an excerpt from one his books that talks about what could potentially happen to “thousands of billboards” in case a storm hits the city.

Watch: Chilling video shows moment when billboard crashed on petrol pump killing 16

“In The Great Derangement, I wrote that in the event of a major storm 'the thousands of billboards that encrust' Mumbai would turn into deadly projectiles,” the author said in a post on X platform (formerly Twitter), while adding that the recent storm was not even near a major cyclone. He also added that the maximum city needs to reduce the number of hoardings.

In The Great Derangement I wrote that in the event of a major storm 'the thousands of billboards that encrust' Mumbai would turn 'into deadly projectiles'. The recent storm was nowhere near as damaging as a major cyclone would be. Mumbai really needs to cut back drastically on…

— Amitav Ghosh (@GhoshAmitav) May 14, 2024

Ghosh, who is known for regularly highlighting issues related to climate change in his work, had released the book The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable in July 2016.

Mumbai hoarding collapse: FIR filed, illegal billboard owner goes missing

On May 14, the city was hit by a dust storm and strong unexpected rains, which led to disruption of various services, including local trains, metro, and flight operations. Traffic on the road was also hit.

The search and rescue operation at the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse site in Mumbai was called off on Thursday morning, an official of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said. The operation went on for 66 hours after a giant 120 feet x 120 feet hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump in the Chheda Nagar area during gusty winds on Monday evening, the official said.

It was later found that the 250-tonne billboard was not legal and the police were trying to locate Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of the ad agency responsible for the hoarding. The police have also registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against Bhinde and others.