
A large hoarding collapsed amid heavy rain and strong winds in Pune on Tuesday, trapping at least seven two-wheelers beneath its wreckage. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred in the Sanaswadi area near Wagholi on Ahilyanagar Road.
The accident stirred unsettling memories of a similar tragedy in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar last year, where a massive billboard collapse claimed 17 lives and injured over 80 people. In Pune, while the scale of destruction was far less, the incident reignited concerns about the structural integrity and regulatory oversight of outdoor advertising hoardings.
According to local officials, the hoarding gave way under the pressure of gusty winds accompanying the downpour. Videos from the site showed the collapsed structure lying across a busy roadside area, with several motorcycles, scooters, and a cycle trapped beneath the debris. Shops nearby were also seen affected by the fall.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an orange alert for Pune and surrounding regions on Monday, forecasting “heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms with lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 50-60 kmph” in isolated areas. Several parts of Pune experienced waterlogging following the downpour.
The Pune incident came just a little over a year after the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse in Mumbai, where a 120×120-foot billboard — thrice the permitted size — crashed onto a petrol pump. That disaster led to a statewide uproar over the lack of regulation and oversight. A judicial inquiry, led by Justice Dilip Bhosale, submitted its findings to the Maharashtra government on May 7. The prime accused in that case, Bhavesh Bhinde, the director of the advertising firm responsible for the hoarding, was arrested and later released on bail.
Tuesday’s collapse in Pune has once again raised questions over the enforcement of safety standards and the role of local authorities in preventing such accidents. Authorities have yet to confirm whether the collapsed hoarding was legally installed and if it met prescribed structural guidelines.