Mumbai woman saves 14 lives after spotting danger moments before trees crashed onto homes

Fire department personnel carry out tree-cutting and clearance operations at the collapse site

Twenty-year-old Neha Nirmal's quick thinking saved 14 lives, including her own, after she noticed a huge peepal tree outside her Mahalaxmi home swaying unusually fast. Three trees, entangled with each other, crashed onto four houses in Mahalaxmi on the morning of Monday, causing extensive property damage but leaving all residents unharmed.

Warning signs

Residents said they heard a loud creaking sound as the trees swayed violently. Realising the danger, Nirmal rushed outside and alerted her neighbours to evacuate. "It was making a loud cracking noise, and the entire tree was swaying. I realised something was wrong and didn't waste a second. I began shouting from outside and asked everyone to come out," said Nirmal. "Moments later, the trees came crashing down, crushing roofs, damaging walls, and burying parts of the houses under thick branches."

Residents gather outside their damaged homes after three trees crashed onto four houses in Mahalaxmi on Monday morning. Pics/Sameer Sayyed Abedi

Residents said the trees collapsed within seconds of their evacuation, leaving them shaken but relieved that no one was trapped inside. Several household belongings were also damaged. Fire department personnel reached the spot soon after the incident, and tree-cutting and clearance operations continued till late evening.

Neha Nirmal

Residents Speak

Pinky Singh,
‘We have lost all our belongings. The house is completely crushed. It took years to build it, and now it will take a lot of money and resources to rebuild. Our lives are now at the mercy of the local corporator, who has made temporary arrangements to provide us with a roof over our heads.'

Ashwini Jadhav,
‘We are thankful that we are alive, but we have lost everything built with our sweat and hard-earned money. After the trees at the Race Course were cut, the intensity of the wind increased. That may have caused the trees in our area to sway violently as the wind hit them directly.'