Mumbai: A day after 11-year-old Vihaan Srivastav died in a tree crash in Chembur, the BMC suspended two officials–Jagdish Bhoir, assistant garden superintendent of M-West ward and Arun Mundhe, sub-engineer from its roads and traffic department, M-West ward–for alleged negligence, pending a departmental inquiry.Following Tuesday’s tragedy, BMC commissioner Ashwini Bhide has directed officials to undertake fresh pruning and time-bound re-inspection of hazardous trees across Mumbai and ensure all potentially dangerous trees are identified and made safe before further heavy monsoon spells. Further, Bhide constituted a two-member committee comprising deputy municipal commissioner (special engineering) Purushottam Malavde and deputy municipal commissioner (engineering) Shashank Bhore to investigate the incident. The panel has been directed to submit its report within eight days, consult experts and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in future.In a statement issued on Wednesday, the civic body said officials against whom prima facie negligence was established have been suspended. It added that strict action would also be taken against the contractor responsible for the road works in the area.Additional municipal commissioner Avinash Dhakane said issuing notices alone does not absolve officials of responsibility. “Merely issuing notices cannot be an excuse for such negligence. The matter should have been escalated to higher authorities. I have also directed the Roads Department to initiate action against the road contractor,” he said.Meanwhile, anguish over the child’s death spilled into the BMC’s standing committee meeting on Wednesday too, with corporators across party lines demanding accountability, an independent inquiry into the incident and systemic reforms in Mumbai’s tree management. Members across party lines demanded that a culpable homicide case be registered against officials found responsible for the incident.Congress corporator Tulip Miranda alleged that residents often do not receive timely responses from the garden department even after applying for permission to prune or remove hazardous trees, leading to preventable risks.Committee chairperson Prabhakar Shinde demanded that no official or contractor responsible for lapses should escape accountability. He called for the suspension of concerned officers pending the outcome of the probe and insisted that the inquiry should not be conducted solely by the same department involved in the incident.”There should be an independent, third-party inquiry. Responsibility must be fixed, whether it lies with officers or contractors,” Shinde said.BJP party leader Ganesh Khankar said the death of another child in a tree-fall incident, after a similar tragedy in Khar where a girl lost her life, could not be dismissed as an isolated accident.A total of 13 children were trapped inside the school van. Twelve were rescued immediately by personnel from the Mumbai fire brigade, the bus conductor and local residents, and were shifted by ambulance to nearby hospitals. Of the injured students, four sustained minor injuries, while 11-year-old Vihaan Srivastav died.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat has kicked up a row by saying falling of trees and lightning strikes are not in human hands. The comment came in the wake of the death of a student after a tree collapsed on a school bus in Chembur.A day after he made the remarks, the social justice minister on Wednesday sought to control the damage, claiming that he had been misquoted and that the civic body should have ensured proper trimming of trees in advance to prevent such incidents.Asked about the incident, Shirsat on Tuesday said, “How was one to know that the tree was going to fall? Falling of a tree or lightning is not in our hands. Maybe there were heavy winds.”His comments drew sharp reactions from the Congress and NCP (SP). Congress’ Nana Patole said the remarks show “the level of arrogance” within the govt. “Monsoon preparedness was only on paper, there was nothing on the ground,” Patole said. NCP (SP)’s Clyde Crasto dubbed Shirsat’s remarks as “shameful” and “insensitive.”Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Shirsat, however, maintained his remarks were misconstrued. “This was a very unfortunate incident. I had said that even though falling of trees is natural, civic authorities should take due precautions. Trees which are about to collapse should be removed before onset of monsoon,” Shirsat said.He alleged that some people tried to misquote him. “All I had said was that even if the falling of a tree was due to natural causes, the civic body should have taken proper care. The trees should have been trimmed well in advance. Such warnings cannot be ignored in the name of conserving nature. Otherwise, more such incidents will happen,” Shirsat said.The state govt is still concerned and making efforts to avoid such incidents, he said. The BMC had been directed to take necessary measures to prevent such accidents in future, the minister said.Shiv Senas MLA Tukaram Kate and Murji Patel attacked the BMC in the assembly. Kate, who represents Chembur, said this is not the first time such an accident has happened in his constituency. “I have been repeatedly calling civic officials to take precautionary measures, but in vain,” he said.Patel demanded the govt take steps to help the boy’s family and the injured victims.

11-year-old Vihan Srivastav (in picture) died on Tuesday when an old roadside peepal tree fell on the school bus in Chembur area.

MUMBAI:MUMBAI: A day after 11-year-old Vihan Srivastav’s death in the Chembur tree collapse incident, the BMC suspended two officials from different departments, holding them prima facie responsible for negligence pending departmental inquiries.The civic body suspended Jagdish Bhoir, assistant garden superintendent of M West ward, and Arun Mundhe, sub-engineer from the Roads and Traffic Department, in connection with the incident in which a roadside peepal tree fell on a passing Universal High School bus on 11th Road, Chembur (East), killing Vihaan and injuring four other students.In a statement issued on Wednesday, the BMC said officials against whom prima facie negligence had been established were suspended. It added that strict action would also be taken against the contractor responsible for the road works in the area.Bhoir’s suspension order, issued by the office of the Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Gardens), stated that the incident took place on June 30 at around 2.58 pm when the roadside tree fell on the school bus.“In connection with the said incident, prima facie/substantial negligence is evident. In view of this matter, you are being suspended from today, July 1, 2026, pending preliminary/departmental inquiry,” the order stated.The BMC also suspended Arun Mundhe, Sub-Engineer (Roads), M/West Ward, through an order issued by the Chief Engineer (Roads and Traffic), with immediate effect pending a preliminary departmental inquiry.Additional Municipal Commissioner Avinash Dhakane said issuing notices alone would not absolve officials of responsibility.“Merely issuing notices cannot be an excuse for such negligence. The matter should have been escalated to higher authorities. I have also directed the Roads Department to initiate action against the road contractor,” he said.Following the tragedy, BMC Commissioner Bhide directed officials to carry out fresh pruning and time-bound re-inspection of hazardous trees across Mumbai to identify and secure potentially dangerous trees before further heavy monsoon spells.The civic body said the uprooted peepal tree was estimated to be 60 to 70 years old and that no official complaints had been received regarding its condition.It added that the tree had undergone a visual inspection on May 12, during which it was found to be healthy and structurally sound. The tree was also pruned on May 29 as part of the annual pre-monsoon tree maintenance drive.The BMC’s action comes amid questions over civic preparedness and tree safety measures after the collapse of the tree onto the school bus during heavy rains in Chembur.

The exposed trenched live electrical cable

Navi Mumbai: Two college girls fell unconscious after sustaining severe electric shocks from an underground exposed live electrical wire while wading through a waterlogged stretch of the Mumbai carriageway of the Sion-Panvel Highway near the Nerul flyover around 1 pm on Wednesday. The two were rushed to Dr D Y Patil Hospital in Nerul by an autorickshaw driver waiting at the traffic signal nearby, who used his presence of mind to pull them out with a tree branch.The girls have been identified as Ujwala Wagh, 18 , and Shubhangi Nalawade, 16 , both residents of Shirawane village, Nerul, and students of People’s Education Society High School and Junior College in Sector 8B, CBD-Belapur. They were returning home from their college. After alighting at the bus stop near a sweet shop on the highway, they were wading through the flooded highway while holding hands to reach the pavement when the incident took place.At the hospital, the two were immediately provided treatment and stabilised by the doctors. After they regained consciousness, NMMC Mayor Sujata Patil met the girls at the hospital to check on their health condition. According to the directions of Mayor Sujata Patil, the girls were later shifted to the ICU at NMMC Hospital, Vashi, for observation.Following the incident, the MSEDCL technical team and NMMC officials of the electrical department, in the presence of the assistant electrical inspector from Thane, conducted a joint inspection of the spot, where the underground wire was found exposed near the road median. MSEDCL submitted the detailed technical report to the assistant electrical inspector.Auto driver Pravin Mahale, who rushed the girls to Dr D Y Patil Hospital, said, “While waiting at the traffic signal in my auto, I heard screams of the girls from behind. I rushed out and saw the two girls collapse on the flooded road and lie motionless. A traffic constable at the spot went to pick up the girls, and when he touched one of them, he sensed a minor electric current. Realising that there was electric current due to some live electric wire on the flooded road, I used a tree branch to remove the girls’ bags and then pull out the girls with the help of traffic constable.”MSEDCL’s PRO Mamta Pandey said, “Power is supplied to the streetlights under the Nerul L P Naka flyover by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s streetlight electricity meter connection. In the initial inspection of the incident spot by MSEDCL’s technical team, it was found that the insulation of one of the trenched outgoing cables passing through NMMC’s power meter connection was broken, thus exposing the underground live electric wire. Therefore, it is possible that the two girl students who were passing by the flooded road suffered electric shocks.”Pandey further informed that the incident spot and the area around it were secured by MSEDCL’s Nerul division by immediately shutting down the relevant power supply. The streetlightpower connection and the outgoing cable on it are owned and maintained by NMMC. “Further technical inspection and necessary action are being taken by NMMC’s electricity department,” said Pandey.