A 46-year-old woman died after being hit by a branch of a 40-foot tall tree, which collapsed while she was sitting on a bench under it in Diamond Park, Chembur, around 11 a.m. on Thursday.
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According to the Govandi police, the deceased, Sharda Godeshwar, worked as a domestic help. She was resting on the bench as she had 10 to fifteen minutes to spare before she was due to start work in a nearby building.
“The 35-year-old tree collapsed suddenly, and a branch hit Godeshwar on the head. She was rushed to Shatabdi Hospital, where she was declared dead before admission. Her body was sent to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar for examination,” said Senior Police Inspector Shashikant Mane. Mr. Mane said an accidental death report had been registered for now.
Godeshwar, a mother of three children aged 14, 12, and 10, lived with her family in Panjrapol, Chembur. “My life has turned upside down. Because of the government’s apathy, my children have lost their mother,” her husband, Sahadev, said.
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Assistant Municipal Commissioner Harshad Kale, M-West Ward, said a report from the Superintendent of Gardens is awaited. He said that according to the Gardens Department personnel, the tree roots may not have gone deep enough underground, as there is a well near it. “They have also told me that the Gulmohar tree may have been weakened internally due to the Ockhi cyclone. But there was no sign of it on the surface, and our ward officials do not have sophisticated equipment to check the strength of roots,” said Mr. Kale.