Sheet from rooftop falls on woman, grandson in Gr Noida condo during storm, both dead

NOIDA: Rushing back home from the society park Wednesday evening to avoid intense winds and sudden rain, Sunita (50) and little Advik (2) were buried under a colossal tin sheet that, cut loose by the storm, fell from the terrace of the 21-storey building where they lived on the 6th floor.

Sunita and Advik were steps away from the safety of their Sun-4 tower's lobby at Greater Noida's Migsun Ultimo when the sheet thudded down at 8.45pm. Sunita died on the spot. The boy, possibly shielded by his grandmother, was still breathing when he was rushed to hospital, but succumbed later in the night.

Greater Noida deaths trigger angry protests
The tragedy left Migsun Ultimo in shock and triggered a protest by residents against the developer of the society at Omicron 3 roundabout. The tin sheet wasn't the only lethal flying object that fell on the compound. The metal gate to the terrace of another tower, Sun-6, was also dislodged by the storm and landed on the society compound, burying itself several inches into the ground. Fortunately, no one was present there.

"Sunita had Advik in one arm and his red cycle in the other. The tin shed that came hurtling down on them is the one that covers the building's central shaft," said Bijendra Dwivedi, a society resident. Ravindra Yadav, a member of the Migsun Ultimo Allottees Welfare Association, said he heard "a deafening sound". "By the time we reached the spot, Sunita was motionless. Advik was still breathing faintly, but he was critically injured," he added. Sunita was declared dead on arrival at Govt Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS). Advik passed away at Fortis Hospital around midnight.

A police official said Advik had suffered severe head injuries. "His ribcage was broken and his lungs were punctured. The injuries were too grave. The tin shed decapitated his grandmother. Her face was damaged beyond recognition," he added. Originally from Bokaro in Jharkhand, the family had moved to the Greater Noida society in 2022. Sunita had been living with her son Jitendra and daughter-in-law Pammi - both IT professionals - to help raise Advik, who was born in 2023. "This was their daily routine. Sunita was devoted to the boy, always taking him to the park and carrying him home when he was tired," said a relative from Faridabad.

On Wednesday evening, Jitendra and Pammi heard a crashing sound and rushed to the balcony of their flat. All they could see was the shattered tin shed and Advik's bicycle lying at a distance. When they reached downstairs, they found Sunita and Advik pinned to the ground, below the metal structure.