As parts of Mumbai faced a dust storm and heavy rain, an advertising hoarding belonging to Minimax Ads and Pacific Digital ads collapsed causing widespread wreckage. 

As confirmed by the Mumbai Police, at 16:30 hours on 13 May, a metal girder from a billboard sized 70/50 meters (229*164 feet), collapsed at the Railway Petrol Pump, Samta Colony, Ghatkopar (E). According to reports, hoardings above the size of 40*40 are not permitted to be built.

This led to the death of 14 people along with several others injured. The BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) stated that hoarding was illegal and constructed without permission on railway land.

A tweet from the Indian Railways clarified that the hoarding was not on railway land and is not related to the Indian Railways.

This hoarding is not on Railway land and it is not in anyway related to Indian Railways.

— Central Railway (@Central_Railway) May 13, 2024

This incident puts the scanner on outdoor advertising ahead of the monsoon season in Mumbai. Are these agencies blatantly flouting laws and safety regulations when it comes to hoarding placements? If you have a view on the same, mail anupama@manifest-media.in.

Manifest has reached out to Minimax Ads and its parent company Ego Media for a statement.

The story has been updated at 10:15 am on 14 May.