Mumbai Billboard Collapse Claims 14 Lives, Author's Eight-Year-Old Warning Resurfaces

After the Mumbai Billboard Collapse, author Amitav Ghosh's prescient warning from eight years ago has resurfaced. Read on to know how.

File Photo: Rescue and relief work underway near the site of the hoarding collapse at Ghatkopar, in Mumbai, Tuesday. ( Image Source :PTI Images )

A chilling prophecy made by author Amitav Ghosh eight years ago resurfaced after a massive billboard in Mumbai collapsed during thunderstorms and gusty winds that left 14 persons dead and several others injured. In his book, 'The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable,' Ghosh had forewarned of the potential perils posed by billboards in Mumbai, envisaging them "deadly projectiles" in the event of a cycle. 

His prescient words gained eerie significance after tragedy struck Mumbai on Monday afternoon as a 100-foot-tall illegal billboard collapsed in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar leaving 14 people dead and 74 others injured.

Reflecting on his warning in the aftermath of the tragedy, Ghosh took to X and said, "In The Great Derangement I wrote that in the event of a major storm 'the thousands of billboards that encrust' Mumbai would turn 'into deadly projectiles'."

"The recent storm was nowhere near as damaging as a major cyclone would be. Mumbai really needs to cut back drastically on billboards," he said, highlighting the gravity of the situation. 

Check Out Amitav Ghosh's Post Here 

In The Great Derangement I wrote that in the event of a major storm 'the thousands of billboards that encrust' Mumbai would turn 'into deadly projectiles'. The recent storm was nowhere near as damaging as a major cyclone would be. Mumbai really needs to cut back drastically on…

— Amitav Ghosh (@GhoshAmitav) May 14, 2024

Mumbai Billboard Collapse

The incident occurred during a dust storm accompanied by sudden showers on Monday afternoon, when a towering 120 x 120-feet billboard collapsed onto a petrol pump, trapping over 100 people beneath its debris. 

Among the injured, 44 persons remain hospitalised, with one person in critical condition, while 31 others have been discharged, according to the local authorities. 

Patel Nagar police registered an FIR against Bhavesh Prabhudas Bhinde, 51, the director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the firm responsible for the illegal billboard installation. As per an Indian Express report, Bhinde has a history of legal troubles including a rape case earlier this year, and faced additional charges related to violations of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act for unauthorised banner placements.