Tree collapse kills bus driver

Monsoon has not even arrived and one casualty has already been reported in city. A 39-year old BEST bus driver died after a branch of a mango tree fell over his head on Friday morning in Charkop.

The bus driver has been identified as Sumit Ankush Wagh from the Gorai bus depot. An official from BMC's disaster management informed that Thakare Nagar bus stand was the last stop and the driver was taking rest under a mango tree before starting for another trip. Suddenly, a branch fell over his head and he fell unconscious. He was taken to Saraswati Hospital in Charkop area where he was declared dead on arrival.

SR Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner of R South ward said the tree work is underway and they will complete the work by the end of the month. "We have almost completed around 55 per cent tree trimming work and are expecting to finish it by the end of this month," said Gaikwad.

Gaikwad informed there are 9,238 trees on 136 roads in his ward of which 8,247 need to be trimmed. "We have already trimmed around 4,300 trees in 61 roads," he said.

As per the information from 2010 to 2016, there have been around 9,500 incidents of trees collapsing in the city, followed by 1,275 incidents of branches falling on streets, footpaths and properties.