Mumbai: The death toll in the hoarding collapse incident in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area has risen to 14 while 74 people are injured, civic officials said on Tuesday morning.

The 100-foot-tall illegal billboard fell at a petrol pump in Ghatkopar during dust storms and unseasonal rains that lashed Mumbai on Monday.

According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, search and rescue operations were going on at the Chheda Nagar-based petrol pump on Tuesday morning.

Of the injured, 31 people have been discharged from Rajawadi Hospital, a BMC official said. The search and rescue operation is underway, the official said. NDRF has deployed two teams for the operation being carried out with Mumbai Fire Brigade and other agencies

Mumbai was hit by strong winds accompanied by rain and dust storms on Thursday that uprooted trees and caused brief power outages in parts of the city, along with disruptions to the city's train network.

Reports said flights were temporarily suspended at the city's international airport with at least 15 planes diverted.

Cops register FIR

Mumbai Police registered a case against the owner of Ego Media and others after a hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar area on Monday, killing 14 persons, an official said.

The owner, Bhavesh Bhinde, and others were booked under sections 304 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt to another person by acting rashly or negligently) of the Indian Penal Code.

The case has been registered at Pantnagar police station and the investigation is underway, he said.

According to civic officials, the billboard was illegal and no permission was taken to install it.

AFP, PTI