Rescue workers in Mumbai have found two more bodies beneath the debris at the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse site, raising the total number of confirmed fatalities to 14. The incident occurred on Monday evening during a dust storm and unseasonal rains, causing the massive hoarding on land owned by the Government Railway Police (GRP) to topple onto a nearby petrol pump in the Chheda Nagar area. The rescue operations, which have been ongoing for 40 hours, have also resulted in 75 injuries. According to an official from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the bodies were discovered late Tuesday night but have yet to be retrieved. The rescue efforts faced an additional challenge on Wednesday morning when a minor fire erupted at the site, but officials were able to swiftly bring it under control.
In a separate incident, seven members of a family, including minors, are feared to have drowned in the Narmada River at Poicha in Gujarat. Reports indicate that the family was swept away by strong currents on Tuesday. Rescue teams, including local divers from NDRF and the Vadodara fire department, are actively searching the area. The victims, who hailed from Surat, were visiting Poicha, a popular picnic spot that has recently implemented new safety regulations prohibiting unlicensed boat operations. Authorities from the 6BN NDRF unit based in Jarod, Vadodara district, have joined the search for the missing persons. Despite restrictions on boat operations in the Narmada district, unauthorized boatmen continue to operate on the Vadodara side of the river. Investigations into both incidents are ongoing as officials and rescue teams work tirelessly at the sites.
