4 women among 5 killed as ‘illegal’ hoarding collapses in Pimpri Chinchwad

Five people, including four ladies, were murdered and three others were injured on Monday evening when a steel structure supporting a hoarding collapsed on them in the Kiwale region of Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune.

When the event occurred at 5.30 p.m. on the service road of the Katraj Dehu Road Bypass of the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway in the Ravet police jurisdiction, the eight people sought cover from the rain and strong winds under sheds near the hoarding. According to officials, the hoarding was “illegal” and had been erected without the approval of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

Following the collapse, ambulances, fire brigade rescuers, police teams and local residents rushed to the spot and rescued eight persons who were trapped under the steel structure. All the eight were rushed to nearby hospitals where five of them were pronounced dead. One of the five killed hailed from UP.

Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey said, “Several people were trapped under the structure of the hoarding that collapsed. All of them sustained grievous injuries. Five persons have died and three have been seriously injured. Teams from the local police station, all senior officers reached the spot and coordinated the emergency response efforts.”

Assistant Commissioner of Police Padmakar Ghanwat said, “Primary information suggests that when it had started raining and strong winds were blowing, some persons had stopped near the hoarding and had taken shelter under some sheds, including that of a puncture repair shop. The hoarding structure collapsed and eight persons were trapped under it. Five persons, including four women, have died. There is one woman among the three injured.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police Kakasaheb Dole said, “Our initial priority was ensuring medical aid to all. A probe will be conducted into the causes.”

The deceased have been identified as Shobha Vijay Tak (50), from Parshi Chawl in Dehu Road; Varsha Vilas Kedari (50), from Gandhinagar in Dehu Road; Bharti Nitin Manchak (33), from Mamurdi in Pune; Anita Umesh Roy (45), from Thomas Colony in Dehu Road; and, Ramawadh Prahlad Atmaj (29), who hailed from Laxmipur in Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh.