MUMBAI: Farhan Khan (26), an AC technician, remembers a loud thud and then complete darkness as the 250tonne billboard came crashing down on many people waiting at the petrol pump.
“There was no time to run or escape,” he said, lying on the cot of Rajawadi Hospital. As the billboard hit him, he was knocked out of consciousness. “I came back to senses in a few minutes but I couldn’t move my hands or body. Then I saw light coming from a cell phone and conjured every bit of energy in my body to move towards that. I have no memory of how I wriggled out from under the pile,” he said. Teary eyed, Khan said he could hear pleas for help but there was nothing he could do.
Saiyyed Hussain Sirajuddin, 52, an electrician, had just finished his workday and was on his way home to Mankhurd when he decided to stop and refuel his bike with CNG. He called himself fortunate to have escaped with only minor injuries and scratches. "As the wind picked up, the billboard began to sway violently and then suddenly collapsed. It was evident that the installation was poorly done," he said.
Sirajuddin said he was lucky that his bike was parked alongside a row of cars that absorbed much of the impact. "Thanks to the cars, there was some space for us to catch our breath and manoeuvre out. I was struggling to breathe, but soon the smell of petrol became apparent. That's when I knew I had to extricate myself as there was risk of a fire," he said. After getting out, he assisted others. However, Balaji Bhandare who was driving a car with three passengers suffered severe injuries to neck, shoulders and head. Sirajuddin who was standing next to the car said the car roof was flatenned by the billboard.
Lucky survivorA phone call saved Varun Thorat while his 17-year-old cousin Shubham Gangurde, a student of Siddharth College, suffered injuries to his back and spine. Varun had stepped away to receive the phone call.
Residents of Ramabai Nagar, Gangurde said there were letters written about the instability of the billboard but nobody took it seriously. Rajawadi received over 65 people with mild to moderate injuries.
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