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Tree collapse kills one more, toll 4 in 24 hrs; 65-yr-old electrocuted in Palghar

Tree collapse kills one more, toll 4 in 24 hrs; 65-yr-old electrocuted in Palghar

Time of India07-05-2025

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Thane: A day after three people died after a Gulmohar tree crashed on their autorickshaw in Kalyan, one more person was killed in a similar incident near Runwal Nagar in Thane on Wednesday evening, taking the total death toll in tree crash-related incidents in a 24-hour period to four. In a separate rain-related mishap in Palghar, a 65-year-old man was electrocuted after he accidentally stepped on a live electricity cable that fell to the ground due to gusty winds. Unseasonal rains caused havoc, damaging 767 houses and 50 boats in Palghar district.In the Thane incident, a passenger in an auto died while the driver suffered serious injuries after a gulmohar tree fell on the vehicle. Driver Shafiq Shabbir (50), and Taufiq Saudagar, the passenger who resides in Rabodi, were trapped in the badly mangled auto till recuse teams rushed to their aid and took them to Civil Hospital."The duo sustained serious injuries. Saudagar, who was seated in the passenger seat behind, lost consciousness and was declared brought dead by the doctors, while Shabbir was admitted for injuries to his head," said Yasin Tadvi, in-charge, Thane regional disaster management cell.Earlier on Tuesday, a gulmohar tree had similarly collapsed on an auto in Kalyan East, killing three, including dabbawalah Tukaram Khengale (47), auto driver Umashankar Varma (52), and Lata Raut (47), and injuring an unidentified male passenger who jumped off the vehicle in time.In the wake of the Kalyan mishap, the BMC on Wednesday directed officials to create tree basins along city roads and fill them with soil, and clear the surrounding debris and garbage. NCP SP MLA Jitendra Awhad posted images of an inundated spot in Thane, while a few stretches on Eastern Express Highway also saw minor waterlogging.With inputs from Vishal Rajemahadik & Richa Pinto

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'15 hotel fire: HC orders BMC to pay 50L each to kin of 8 victims
'15 hotel fire: HC orders BMC to pay 50L each to kin of 8 victims

Time of India

time35 minutes ago

  • Time of India

'15 hotel fire: HC orders BMC to pay 50L each to kin of 8 victims

Mumbai: Nearly a decade after a fire at Hotel City Kinara, Kurla West, claimed 8 lives, Bombay HC Tuesday ordered BMC to pay 50 lakh each compensation to their families, nailing it for gross negligence in discharge of its duties. Justices Burgess Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla said Kinara was granted an eating housing license without it obtaining any fire NOC from the fire brigade. "This, in our view, was one of the most egregious breaches committed not only by the owner... but also by BMC," they said, adding it was even more shocking that even after BMC became aware of the lack of fire NOC, did not take any action in that regard. They said BMC officials' deliberate inaction and negligence in fulfilling their duties led to loss of lives at Kinara. On Oct 16, 2015 the fire broke out around 1.20pm in the mezzanine. Among the dead were seven students, between 18 and 20years, of Don Bosco Institute of Technology and the eighth, a civil engineer (32). The court heard a 2018 petition by the victims' parents and wife to quash the Lokayukta's Feb 27, 2017 order which dismissed their complaint seeking investigation noting that Rs 1 lakh each compensation is disbursed. The HC quashed the Lokayukta's order. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo The judges also said all the victims "had a full working life ahead of them". HC said by initially granting eating house license to Kinara without a FIR NOC and thereafter not taking action when it was discovered that Kinara was operating without a fire NOC, BMC committed gross negligence and acted totally in breach of its statutory duties. Justices Burgess Colabawala and Firdosh Pooniwalla said had BMC "promptly discharged its statutory duties by acting upon the fire safety violations and cancelled Kinara's licence, seized the LPG cylinders and prohibited the use of loft area/mezzanine floor for serving patrons, "the fire would definitely not have occurred. " "The loss of life of the petitioners' children/husband, has resulted in violation of their fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Further, as far as the petitioners are concerned, the loss of life of their children/husband has caused immense trauma and agony to the petitioners," said the judges in the verdict. The judges noted in three routine inspections—in Sept 2012, March 2013 and Sept 2015 —BMC found that Kinara was infringing various conditions of its licence. There was no letter from the chief fire officer granting permission to run it. It was using space outside the licensed premises to prepare Chinese food. The mezzanine floor was used for service instead of storage. One Martin Mathews' complaint to Vinoba Bhave police regarding storage of illegal LPG cylinders was forwarded to BMC but assistant commissioner of L ward "did not take the complaint seriously". In response to an RTI query, the fire brigade informed activist Nicholas Almeida that Kinara had no fire NOC. Advocate Godfrey Pimenta learnt from HPCL Kinara was not a registered customer of Laxmi Gas Agency. The judges agreed with senior advocate Naushad Engineer and advocate Jayesh Mistry for the petitioners that a higher standard of care was imposed on BMC to ensure public safety. They disagreed with advocate Anil Sakhare for BMC that there was no proximate cause link to acts of omission and/or commission of municipal officers and the fire and fatalities. The judges set aside the Lokayukta's order saying it failed to consider the Rs 1 lakh compensation each paid by the state govt to the families was only ad-hoc compensation. The judges said all victims "had a full working life ahead of them". Since the students were studying engineering (IT) or mass media and Arvind Kanaujia was employed at Sterling Engineering Consultants, "it would be safe to presume that, during their whole working life, they would earn a good salary". The judges said compensation of at least Rs 30 lakh each would be payable. Considering inflation and interest over 10 years, the compensation payable, in 2025, would be Rs 50 lakh. They directed BMC to pay each petitioner within 12 weeks failing which it "shall carry interest at rate of 9 % per annum...".

Kinara fire: Court holds civic body liable, orders to pay Rs 50 lakh to families
Kinara fire: Court holds civic body liable, orders to pay Rs 50 lakh to families

India Today

timean hour ago

  • India Today

Kinara fire: Court holds civic body liable, orders to pay Rs 50 lakh to families

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday held the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) liable for gross negligence in the 2015 fire at Hotel City Kinara in Mumbai, which claimed the lives of eight young adults. The court directed the BMC to pay Rs 50 lakh in compensation to each of the victims' families within 12 weeks, warning that failure to do so would attract an interest of 9% per annum from the date of the order until full payment or tragic incident occurred on October 16, 2015, when a group of eight had gathered for lunch at a restaurant. They were seated on the mezzanine floor when a fire broke out around 1:20 p.m., leading to their deaths. A complaint was initially filed with the Lokayukta seeking investigation and compensation. The Lokayukta dismissed the complaint, citing prior compensation ordered and credited to the Tahsildar of Kurla. The petitioners then challenged this before the High Court.A division bench comprising Justices BP Colabawalla and Firdosh P. Pooniwalla examined whether the BMC could be held liable for the incident and if compensation was still due. The civic body argued that the fire resulted from gross negligence by the restaurant's owner and staff and that it bore no responsibility. However, the bench found that the BMC had committed a gross breach of statutory duty. It noted that the civic body had received complaints and was aware of serious licence violations by the restaurant that posed fire hazards, as documented in their own inspection reports. Despite this, no preventive action was taken. The court ruled that the BMC's inaction had a direct and proximate link to the BMC claimed limitations in manpower and infrastructure due to Mumbai's size and said that two sanitary inspectors had been punished following a departmental inquiry. The court responded that such internal action did not absolve the BMC from its constitutional responsibility to safeguard citizens' fundamental rights under Article court made it clear that while the BMC is free to recover compensation from the restaurant owner and operators, it cannot escape its primary liability to compensate the petitioners. It also clarified that the Rs 1 lakh ex gratia paid by the state government was only an ad hoc amount and not the full measure of damages the court quashed the Lokayukta's dismissal of the complaint and reaffirmed that the BMC's negligence directly contributed to the deaths, making it liable for the Rs 50 lakh compensation to each of the deceased's Watch

15k fine on pvt co for open waste disposal & burning garbage
15k fine on pvt co for open waste disposal & burning garbage

Time of India

time6 hours ago

  • Time of India

15k fine on pvt co for open waste disposal & burning garbage

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