Two women sustained critical injuries in Mumbai after a tree fell from a construction site onto their auto-rickshaw, prompting a police investigation into potential negligence.
A teenage girl and a 21-year-old woman were seriously injured after a tree fell from a construction site onto the auto-rickshaw they were travelling in near Khar in Mumbai, a police official said on Monday.
Another auto-rickshaw occupant, a relative of one of the injured, escaped unhurt in the incident which took place on Sunday evening, he said.
On Monday, police registered an FIR against the private company, Bluestone, managing the construction site, according to the Khar police station official.
The injured duo, Aarika Shrivastava (15) and Harshita Kumar (21), suffered severe head and spine wounds. They are recuperating in a leading private hospital, where their condition is stated to be critical, he said.
Visuals from the accident site showed the tree crashing through metal safety sheets installed around the construction site before collapsing onto the footpath and the passing auto-rickshaw. Workers were later seen cutting and removing parts of the fallen tree while emergency response efforts continued at the location.
The FIR was lodged on a complaint filed by Manasvi Shrivastava (19), elder sister of Aarika. Manasvi Shrivastava, too, was present in the auto when the incident took place, but escaped unhurt.
The case was filed under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 125-B (Act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 290 (Negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings etc), added police.