Hoarding crash kills Mumbai man

A cement hoarding sheet uprooted by gusty winds crashed on a pedestrian outside Churchgate station, injuring him seriously, the BMC Disaster Control said here on Wednesday.

The incident occurred around 12.45 p.m. when the heavy hoarding suddenly collapsed on the pedestrian, who was identified as Madhukar Appa Narvekar, 62.

He was rushed to the G.T. Hospital near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharashtra Terminus where he succumbed after an hour while under treatment.

Over the past three days, owing to cyclonic conditions building up in the Arabina Sea, Mumbai and surroundings witnessed pre-monsoon thunderstorms that have claimed at least six lives so far.

The Cyclone Vayu is expected to pass around 250 km in the Arabian Sea, heading towards the Gujarat coast which has created stormy conditions on the entire Maharashtra coastal, Konkan region and popular beaches in Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Mumbai, Thane and Palghar.

The Indian Coast Guard, State Disaster Management, Mumbai Police and BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation and other agencies have warned people against venturing near beaches or promenades which are lashed by strong tidal waves, posing safety hazards. IANS