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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has constituted a two-member inquiry committee following the fatal collapse of a peepal tree on a school bus in Chembur, Mumbai, which claimed the life of an 11-year-old student and injured four others. The civic body has also suspended officials pending investigation and ordered a citywide reinspection of potentially hazardous trees. The incident has renewed scrutiny of Mumbai's urban infrastructure, particularly the coordination between road construction and tree maintenance, after reports indicated earlier warnings over root damage in the area. The inquiry will examine the cause of the collapse and recommend measures to strengthen public safety during the monsoon.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has constituted a two-member committee to investigate the fatal tree collapse in Chembur, Mumbai, that claimed the life of an 11-year-old student and injured four others after a peepal tree fell on a moving school bus in the past week. The inquiry has been ordered by Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, while three civic officials have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
The accident occurred on Road No. 11 near Diamond Garden in Chembur (West), where a 60- to 70-year-old peepal tree uprooted and crashed onto a school bus carrying 13 students. Rescue teams from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, police and other civic agencies responded immediately. The 11-year-old student succumbed to injuries, while four other children sustained injuries and were admitted to hospital.
The inquiry committee, headed by Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Special Engineering) Purushottam Malavade and Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Engineering) Shashank Bhore, has been directed to submit its findings within eight days. The panel will investigate the circumstances leading to the collapse, seek expert opinions and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents across the city.
As part of its immediate response, the BMC suspended the Assistant Garden Superintendent of M/West Ward, along with an assistant engineer from the roads department and another civic official. According to the civic administration, the suspensions will remain in force until the inquiry is completed. Additional Municipal Commissioner Avinash Dhakane stated that preliminary observations suggested possible lapses in monitoring and coordination between departments.
The incident has also highlighted concerns over road construction practices around mature trees. Preliminary inspections indicated that the area surrounding the tree had been concretised during road works, potentially restricting root growth and weakening structural stability. Reports further revealed that the BMC's garden department had previously issued notices warning that excavation and road construction near the tree could damage its root system, although no effective corrective action followed.
The civic body maintained that the tree had undergone a visual inspection in May and was considered structurally sound during routine pre-monsoon maintenance. It also stated that no public complaints regarding the tree's condition had been received before the incident. As part of this year's monsoon preparedness, the BMC reported removing 468 dangerous or dead trees and pruning branches of more than 100,000 trees across Mumbai. Records also show that tree-fall incidents increased from 653 in 2024 to 855 in 2025.
Following the Chembur tragedy, the Municipal Commissioner has directed civic departments to undertake fresh inspections and time-bound pruning of potentially hazardous trees across the city. The inquiry is expected to assess whether existing inspection protocols, engineering practices and inter-departmental coordination require changes to improve urban infrastructure safety during the monsoon season.
Source: PTI
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