Mumbai dust storm Ghatkopar hoarding tragedy: Who is Bhavesh Bhide, owner of collapsed hoarding that took 14 lives

Bhavesh Bhide is the owner of a hoarding company and the advertising agency that is accountable for the illegal hoarding collapse in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, leading to the tragic death of fourteen individuals.

The incident happened in a dust storm and rain, with winds reaching 60 km per hour. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) stated that there were 88 victims, with 74 being rescued and injured. Around 150 vehicles were at the petrol pump when the collapse occurred.

Bhavesh Bhide: What we know up to this point
Bhavesh Bhide is the director of Ego Media Private Limited, the advertising agency that was responsible for putting up the fallen billboard in Ghatkopar, Mumbai.

A huge illegal advertisement hoarding weighing 250 tonnes collapsed onto a petrol pump, causing the death of fourteen individuals and injuring many others.

The incident happened following a sudden dust storm and rain, with winds reaching speeds of up to 60kmph, which the IMD categorized as pre-monsoon activity.

At the moment when the collapse occurred, approximately 150 vehicles were at the petrol pump, with some of them seeking shelter from the rain.

Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police, Purushottam Karad, stated that a case has been registered for culpable homicide, which does not amount to murder, and for causing grievous hurt, along with other charges.

The BMC has issued a notice to Ego Media Private Limited, requesting the removal of eight unauthorized hoardings in the area within a span of 10 days, with warnings to revoke licenses for any hoardings in the 24 civic wards.

The hoardings, including the one that collapsed, were put up without authorization from the BMC, on land owned by the Home Department and the Maharashtra State Police Housing Welfare Corporation.

Former Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Kirit Somaiya, had lodged a complaint regarding the unauthorized hoardings. This resulted in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation issuing a notice to the Government Railway Police to take them down.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), and other teams carried out a rescue mission, utilizing heavy machinery to free individuals stuck in the debris.

Local residents and former corporators raised concerns about the safety of such structures, questioning the foundation and stability of the collapsed hoarding.