In a tragic incident, the collapse of a hoarding in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, has resulted in the deaths of Kartik Aaryan’s relatives. Among the 16 victims were the actor’s maternal uncle and aunt, retired Air Traffic Control (ATC) officer Manoj Chansoria and his wife Anita Chansoria.
Manoj Chansoria, 60, and his wife Anita, 59, were inside their car when the massive hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump amidst heavy dust storms in Mumbai. The couple, along with 90 others, were trapped under the illegal hoarding. Their bodies were discovered three days later, trapped in their car near Mariam Chowk in Jabalpur. The exact time and cause of their deaths are still unknown.
According to a report by Indian Express, Kartik Aaryan, who was busy with work on his upcoming release “Chandu Champion,” took time off to attend the funeral of his relatives. He joined his family at the Sahar Cremation Ground to mourn their loss.
Manoj and Anita were reportedly in Mumbai to complete paperwork for their visas to visit their son Yash in the United States. On Monday afternoon, Yash lost contact with his parents. The Indian Express reported, “Their son had been trying to contact them since 5 pm on May 13. Unable to reach Manoj and with Anita not answering her phone, he contacted his father’s colleagues for help”. Their bodies were found after several hours of searching.
The incident occurred on Monday evening when a giant hoarding in Ghatkopar collapsed due to a short spell of unseasonal rain and gusty winds. The billboard fell on a busy petrol pump, trapping nearly 100 people underneath. The collapse resulted in 16 deaths and 74 injuries. On Thursday, the Mumbai Police arrested Bhavesh Bhinde, director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the advertising agency responsible for the billboard. The company had applied to the Limca Book of Records to have it declared the largest commercial hoarding in India.