A devastating incident in Chembur saw a seven-decade-old peepul tree collapse onto a school van, tragically claiming the life of an 11-year-old boy.
MUMBAI: Amid continuous rain, a seven-decade-old peepul tree crashed onto a school van in Chembur even as its driver tried to take the vehicle to safety. Raju, a security guard at Heritage Heights near the accident site, said, “I heard a cracking sound and saw the tree fall. The children and the driver were inside the van. The driver tried to accelerate and move it to safety, but the lane was too narrow. Before he could get out, the tree crashed onto the vehicle.”A BMC official said that during road concreting work carried out earlier this year “the tree’s roots appeared to have been damaged. The garden department had flagged concerns to the roads department and asked engineers to ensure the roots were protected, but we did not receive a favourable response. The exact cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained”.Residents voiced similar concerns. Francis Joseph, who lives on 11th Road, said, “I’m shocked to have witnessed this incident right below my house. I feel the problem may have begun when the road was concreted a few months ago, as the entire stretch was dug up.”Mayor Ritu Tawde, who visited the site, ordered an inquiry. While local officials informed her about the pruning, she directed authorities to examine the road work angle.
Zen Multispeciality Hospital said five children — three boys and two girls — were brought to the facility around 3.30 pm. “One 11-year-old boy was brought dead. Resuscitative measures were undertaken by our emergency team, to no avail, and he was declared deceased. Two children with injuries underwent further clinical evaluation, including CT scans, and are currently under medical care. The remaining two children were assessed and found to be clinically stable,” said Dr Roy Patankar, director of the hospital.Samruddhi Kate, Shiv Sena corporator and daughter-in-law of MLA Tukaram Kate, said she reached the site soon after being alerted by her father-in-law. “He did everything he could to help the children and their parents,” she said.The School Bus Owners Association wants an inquiry into the incident and has called for a safety audit of roadside trees and school routes.(Inputs by Srimoyee Palit & Vaibhavi Gupta)
