Five Senior Citizens Injured as Gazebo Collapses in Sion's Mala Garden
Five senior citizens were injured on Wednesday evening after a gazebo collapsed on them in Mala Garden at Pratiksha Nagar in Sion. The incident occurred around 4:45 pm when the group was spending time outdoors during a break in the rain. Two of the victims suffered leg fractures, while others sustained head injuries.
The injured individuals have been identified as Dhondiram Ghopkar, 65, Ganpat Ambole, 79, Pramila Jadhav, 68, Laxmi Shitliya, 65, and Sunita More, 64. Following the collapse, visitors present in the garden rushed to assist the victims and provided first aid before ambulances transported them to the civic-run Sion Hospital.
According to Dr Pramod Ingale, dean of Sion Hospital, all five patients are in stable condition. One woman discharged herself against medical advice after receiving basic treatment, while the remaining four were admitted for further care. Doctors are performing CT scans on all patients as a precautionary measure to evaluate their injuries, which include fractures and minor head trauma.
Sameer Ambole, the son of 79-year-old victim Ganpat Ambole, stated that his father was a regular daily visitor to the garden. He confirmed that his father suffered a head injury and a leg fracture in the sudden structure crash.
Local residents expressed frustration over the incident, alleging that complaints regarding the poor condition of the gazebo had been raised with the BMC as recently as a couple of months ago. Mala Garden is one of four public spaces managed by the BMC in the neighbourhood and had become popular following renovations completed a few years ago, drawing more than 150 locals daily.
Regular garden visitor Asha Shinde, 44, mentioned that she had directly alerted a visiting civic official in May about water leakage from the roof during last year's monsoon. Despite following up with local civic officials, no action was taken. Another resident, Vasant Gavhale, 68, noted that other structures within the garden also show signs of leakage and require urgent inspection.
