Ghatkopar Billboard Collapse: At least eight people died and more than 60 others sustained injuries after a huge metal billboard collapsed in Ghatkopar amidst the dust storm that hit Mumbai and its surrounding areas on Monday, as per officials cited by news agency PTI. According to officials. several people were feared trapped underneath the collapsed billboard. A search and rescue operation was underway at the incident site.

The BMC said it would be filing a complaint against advertising company Ego Media over the incident. A complaint will be filed by registering an FIR under the Disaster Management Act, the BMC Public Relations Office said. In another incident, a vertical steel parking lot of the Shreeji Towers in Wadala crashed in the gusty winds, crushing around a dozen vehicles and injuring at least one person inside a car, the BMC informed.

Mumbai Dust Storm: Several Trees Collapse

Several incidents of tree collapse were also reported in various parts of Mumbai and Thane. The BMC issued an alert for a thunderstorm, with strong winds of 50-60 kmph, during the evening hours of the day. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that a moderate-to-intense thunderstorm would hit Thane, Raigad, Palghar, Ahmednagar, Pune and Satara, besides parts of Mumbai in the later hours.

Mumbai Dust Storm: Visibility Dropped Drastically

Monday's dust storm shrouded large parts of Mumbai and its suburbs besides adjoining Thane and Navi Mumbai with visibility dropping drastically. As a result, road and air traffic was heavily affected. The dust storm, something rare for the coastal region, whipped up suddenly with strong gusty winds around 3 pm and enveloped almost the entire city within minutes.

Mumbai Dust Storm: Respite From Scorching Heat

After over an hour, the dustiness gave way to dark clouds with showers reported in many parts of Mumbai. The rain significantly dropped the scorching temperatures and also improved visibility to normal levels. The causes of the dust storm in Mumbai, often referred to as the concrete jungle, were not immediately known, but the IMD had forewarned it in an alert earlier on Monday afternoon.

(With inputs from agencies)