In a bizarre incident, four persons – including a 70—year-old man — were killed and 15 others injured, when a huge illegal flex banner collapsed on several vehicles and pedestrians at the Shahir Amar Shaikh junction in Juna Bazar locality of Pune on Friday afternoon.
The banner came crushing down on a stretch of road at the busy junction at 1.30 pm when some workers were pulling down the unauthorised banner using cutters.
Apart from resulting in human causalities and injuries to passers-by, at least six auto rickshaws, a few two wheelers and one car were damaged.
Of the 15 injured persons who are being treated at the State-run Sassoon General Hospital (SGH), the condition of at least six persons was described as “critical”. “These critically injured persons are undergoing treatment at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit,” a senior official at the SGH said.
The police identified those killed in the mishap as Bhagwanrao Dhotre (48), Bhimrao Kasar (70), Shivaji Devidas Pardeshi (40) and Javed Missabuddin (49) The critically injured comprised Umesh Dharmaraj More ( 36), Kiran Thosar (45), Yeshwant Khobare (45), Mahesh Yeshwant Vishveshwar (50), Rukhmani Pardeshi (55), Devesh Pardeshi (40) and Samruddi Pardeshi (18).
Ironically, the property on which the collapsed hoarding had been erected belonged to the Railway. After the mishap, Railway authorities have ordered an inquiry into the incident. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had on at least four occasions written to the Railway administration in the past to remove the unauthorised hoarding. However, the Railway authorities had not bothered to oblige.
Meanwhile, the traffic at the Shahir Amar Shaikh junction that had been badly affected following the mishap was restored aroundthe evening.