BMC forms inquiry panel after Chembur tree fall kills 11-year-old school student

The panel has also been instructed to consult experts and recommend long-term solutions to prevent recurring cases of tree collapses during the monsoon. File Pic

A day after the Chembur tree collapse, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday announced that it has set up a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the incident leading to the death of an 11-year-old student and injuries to several others, officials said.

BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has directed the committee to submit its report within eight days and suggest measures to prevent such incidents in future, they said.

The inquiry committee will comprise Deputy Commissioner (Special Engineering) Purushottam Malavde and Deputy Commissioner (Engineering) Shashank Bhore.

The panel has also been instructed to consult experts and recommend long-term solutions to prevent recurring cases of tree collapses during the monsoon.

Incident that led to death of child

According to an official statement, the incident occurred on June 30, 2026, at around 2.30 pm near Diamond Garden in Chembur West, when a roadside peepal tree uprooted and fell on a school bus belonging to Universal High School.

At the time, 13 children were inside the bus. Twelve were rescued by the Mumbai Fire Brigade, the bus conductor and local residents, and taken to nearby hospitals.

Out of the injured students, four suffered minor injuries. However, 11-year-old Vihan Shrivastav was critically injured and later declared dead during treatment.

The BMC said the incident has been taken very seriously by the civic administration.

Tree was 60-70 years old

The Mumbai civic body stated that the fallen peepal tree was around 60 to 70 years old. Officials said no formal complaint had been received about the tree prior to the incident.

However, inspection work was carried out in January 2026, and precautionary instructions were issued by the Assistant Commissioner of the M West ward regarding roadside works.

A tree survey was completed on May 12, 2026, which found the tree to be structurally stable based on external inspection. The tree was also pruned on May 29, 2026, ahead of the monsoon, as part of routine maintenance.

Large-scale tree management in city

The civic body said that in 2026 alone, 468 dead or dangerous trees were removed across Mumbai, while branches of 1,03,318 trees were pruned as part of pre-monsoon preparedness, an official statement said.

It also noted that tree falls are a recurring issue during the monsoon season due to multiple environmental and structural factors.

Tree fall incidents

According to BMC data:

- In 2023, a total of 687 tree fall incidents were reported (180 in civic areas and 507 in private areas)

- In 2024, there were 653 incidents (171 civic and 482 private)

- In 2025, the number rose to 855 incidents (221 civic and 634 private)

Following the Chembur tragedy, the BMC Commissioner has ordered fresh pruning of potentially dangerous trees and time-bound reinspection of vulnerable trees across Mumbai.

Officials have been instructed to take immediate preventive action wherever trees are found to be hazardous.