Man injured in Andheri tree crash dies after five days in hospital

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A Mira Road resident, C K Gopalakrishnan(37) died five days after battling severe injuries caused by a tree crash outside his Andheri (E) office building. The family of the deceased claimed the tree-fall incident was due to BMC negligence but BMC's garden department claimed they had trimmed the tree a fortnight before the incident. They claimed the civic stormwater drain department had damaged the tree's roots during drain work, and alleged it triggered the crash.

"There was neither any rain nor speedy wind on that day, still the tree fell and killed my brother. The BMC should accept its negligence in the case. This is utter carelessness," Gopalakrishnan's brother C K Hariharan said. According to the Times of India, the civic officials had visited the deceased on May 19, a day after the incident to inquire about his health. Gopalakrishnan, an employee at a logistics firm on May 18, stepped out of his office in the Pinnacle Park building on Mahakali Caves Road and was waiting for an autorickshaw when the tree snapped and crashed on him and two other pedestrians.

While the other two pedestrians suffered minor injuries, Gopalakrishnan was rushed to the nearby Holy Spirit Hospital as he was not able to feel any sensation from his chest up to the lower part of his body. The next day, he underwent surgery for an injury to his spinal cord. "There were multiple injuries and he was in the ICU. Our mother said she would see him after he is discharged from hospital, but unfortunately, he passed away on May 23 at 1.24 pm," said C K Hariharan. The family spent almost Rs 7.5 lakh on medical treatment. "According to the BMC policy, a person injured due to a tree fall is given Rs 50,000 compensation and while the kin of deceased is given Rs 1 lakh," said a senior civic official.

The tree involved in the incident was along the roadside and the activists suggest trees standing on pavements and roads must be provided some space for their roots. Concretization around the trees affects the health of trees. In this incident also, it has been noticed that no breathing space was provided to the tree roots.

Also Read: Mumbai: Tree crash injures three people in Andheri

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