Flex peels off hoarding, TMC asks agencies to review safety

THANE: In a freak incident, a huge portion of a flex banner sheet hoisted on a hoarding got peeled off from its iron framework and fell on the busy Ghodbunder road, during Monday morning peak hours, officials informed.
The corporation has meanwhile asked the agencies to review their respective structures and avoid a repeat, barely a month after it had issued directions to conduct a fresh safety audit after the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse that claimed 17 lives.
Luckily, no one was injured in the mishap as the sheet kept dangling off the frame for some time before it loosened off and fell on a stationary vehicle, passersby informed. The incident was reported at Majiwada, around 10.30 am but didn’t impact traffic movement as civic rescue officials who were alerted rushed to the spot and peeled off the remaining portion of the banner in time.
Meanwhile, residents raised questions on the stability of such structures especially after the corporation had sought fresh structural stability reports of these structures last month. “How can structures start falling apart or develop snags even after getting certified as safe? This needs investigation,” said an activist.