Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Three commuters were seriously injured after a large branch from a roadside tree collapsed in the busy Azad Market in Old City on Wednesday afternoon.
The incident occurred at 3.15 pm and was captured on CCTV, footage of which has since surfaced online. Last week, a stormy rain hit Bhopal that broke hundreds of trees and their branches, but the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has yet to take effective steps.
According to local traders, an old drumstick tree suddenly gave way without any rain, strong winds or storm activity. Witnesses said the branch broke off unexpectedly, striking people passing beneath it.
Bystanders and shopkeepers rushed to the spot and rescued the injured, who were reportedly riding a motorcycle and suffered severe head injuries.
They were immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The CCTV footage also showed how narrowly a larger tragedy was avoided.
Several pedestrians had crossed the spot moments before the collapse, and a loading auto-rickshaw had just passed through the area.
Traders said the accident happened during a relatively less crowded afternoon period.
They warned that if the branch had fallen during the evening rush hour, when the narrow market lane becomes heavily congested, the casualties would have been far greater.
Vivek Sahu, general secretary of Bhopal Kirana Merchant Federation, alleged negligence by the municipal corporation and local administration, claiming that several weak and decaying trees in Azad Market pose an immediate risk to public safety.
BMC's garden section officials confirmed that pruning of broken trees is underway. Till now, debris of 33 trees has been cleared, but nearly 112 are yet to be pruned and cleared.
