Mumbai: In a tragic turn of events, a retired Air Traffic Control (ATC) manager and his wife were among the sixteen individuals who lost their lives following the collapse of a 250-tonne hoarding during a fierce dust storm that swept through Mumbai earlier this week. Manoj Chansoria, aged 60, and his wife Anita, aged 59, were discovered inside their vehicle on Wednesday night, trapped beneath the wreckage of the 100-foot hoarding that had fallen onto a petrol pump in eastern Mumbai. Mr. Chansoria, who had retired as General Manager of Mumbai's ATC, had relocated with his wife to Jabalpur prior to the tragic incident.
The couple had traveled to Mumbai for a brief period to finalize visa formalities for Mrs. Chansoria, as per the information shared by Police. Upon completing their tasks, they embarked on their journey back to Jabalpur. However, tragedy struck as they made a routine stop to refuel their vehicle at the Ghatkopar pump, just when the storm hit. Colleagues present at the crash site on Wednesday recounted that the Chansorias, traveling in a red Tata Harrier car en route to Jabalpur, were in the midst of refueling when the incident occurred.
Manoj, who retired as a general manager from Air Traffic Control (ATC) on March 31, 2024, was accompanied by his wife on their journey back to their hometown. According to a colleague from ATC, Manoj had initially traveled to Jabalpur after his retirement but returned to Mumbai for personal reasons a few days ago. "He had been residing in the ATC guest house and was scheduled to return to his hometown on Monday," stated the colleague. "We only became aware of his situation on Tuesday when his son, attempting to contact him, was unable to reach him. Subsequently, we attempted to trace his mobile location, which led us to this petrol pump."
When attempts to reach the couple went unanswered, their son, residing in the US, sought assistance from a friend in Mumbai. Upon receiving the distress call, the friend promptly filed a missing persons report, prompting the police to initiate a search. Tracking the couple's mobile phones led authorities to their last known location near the Ghatkopar petrol pump. Friends and relatives of the couple rushed to the site, clinging to hope for their rescue from the debris. The tragic collapse has claimed the lives of 16 individuals while leaving 41 others with serious injuries. Of those rescued from the wreckage, 34 have undergone treatment in various hospitals across Mumbai and have since been discharged.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani confirmed that the rescue operation for the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse incident was successfully concluded today, on Thursday. Expressing deep sorrow over the tragic hoarding collapse incident in Ghatkopar, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani emphasized the seriousness of the situation. He stated, “This was a tragic incident in which 16 people died. The rescue operation has been completed. Here is an active petrol pump; that’s why our rescue operation was delayed.”
Furthermore, Gagrani shared that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered a thorough inspection of all hoardings in the city. He stressed, “All the hoardings need a structural stability certificate. They need to follow the specifications of size, foundation strength, and the wind velocity that passes through to provide the necessary stability.” He added, “Three more hoardings are being removed.”
