14 dead in India after giant sign falls on petrol station during Mumbai storm

Rescuers raced to find any survivors after the signage fell at a petrol station in the city’s east, trapping dozens of people underneath

At least 74 people were rescued. India’s financial capital has been pummelled by strong winds accompanied by rain and dust storms in recent days

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A member of the National Disaster Response Force and two Indian policemen inspect the damage at a petrol station in Mumbai after a giant advertising boarding fell on it on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:04am, 14 May 2024Updated: 5:01pm, 14 May 2024

A sudden dust and rainstorm swept through Mumbai on Monday, killing 14 people and injuring scores of others, after a giant advertising hoarding collapsed in a suburb of India’s financial capital.

Beams from the advertising hoarding crushed a petrol station, according to the National Disaster Response Force, which said on X that the agency has rescued 74 people. Rescuers struggled into the evening to free those trapped beneath the rubble.

The violent gusts of wind, followed by squalls of driving rain, uprooted trees across the city and disrupted flights. A metal structure at an under-construction parking facility also crushed two vehicles, according to the Press Trust of India.

Monday’s storm, at the height of India’s national election, will draw attention to precarious infrastructure in Mumbai and other Indian cities, where poor quality construction is not uncommon. Massive advertising boards in particular have mushroomed all over the country as the vote gathers pace.

The damage at a petrol station in Mumbai on Monday after a giant advertising hoarding fell during a storm. Photo: EPA-EFE

While shoddy structures and corruption have contributed to accidents, more frequent extreme weather caused by climate change is adding a new dimension to the problem for India, and underscores the need to bolster resilience in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations.