The death toll in the Mumbai foot over bridge (FOB) collapse has risen to at least six and 30 people were injured at the bustling Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus railway station with the Azad Maidan Police Station collapsed on Thursday evening.
Six of the injured who succumbed to their injuries have been identified as Apoorva Prabhu (35), Ranjana Tambe (40), Zahid Shiraj Khan (32), Bhakti Shinde (40), Sarika Kulkarni (35) and Tapendra Singh (35). Two women who were killed in the tragedy were staff of GT Hospital, police said.
According to reports, 66-year-old Dilip Parekh remains in a critical condition at Bombay Hospital.
An FIR has been registered against officials concerned of the Central Railway and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) under section 304A (Causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code at the Azaad Maidan Police Station.
The Maharashtra Government has announced Ex-gratia of Rs 5 Lakh each for the next of kin of those who were killed in the tragic incident.
“Ex-gratia of Rs 5 Lakh each will be given to the families of those who died in the incident and compensation of Rs 50,000 each will be given to the injured, state govt will provide for their treatment,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
Fadnavis said he has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.
“A structural audit of the bridge had earlier been done and it was found to be fit. Even after that if such an incident happened, it raises a question on the audit. The inquiry will be done. Strictest action will be taken”, the chief minister added.
A big slab of the FOB came crashing down at around 7.20 pm due to which several pedestrians were injured.
Foot over bridge connecting CST platform 1 north end with B T Lane near Times of India building has collapsed. Injured persons are being shifted to hospitals. Traffic affected. Commuters to use alternate routes. Senior officers are on spot.
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) March 14, 2019
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Teams from NDRF, Mumbai Police, Fire Brigade and other rescue agencies reached the spot and immediately evacuated those buried under the rubble and shifted them to hospitals.
In September 2017, a stampede on a pedestrian bridge at the Elphinstone Road railway station in Mumbai killed more than 22 people.