Sec 18 signage crashes in storm, kills 1

Noida: The gantry of a large flag-shaped signage next to DLF Mall of India in Sector 18 came crashing down on the busy Maharaja Agrasen road as a storm hit Noida around 4 pm on Monday, killing a biker and smashing a car whose owner miraculously survived the crash.
The steel structure crushed the back of a stationary Maruti Alto and a Bajaj Platina bike passing by.Munna (27), who was driving the bike, died and his pillion was badly injured. Monday's accident followed the similar collapse of a unipole hoarding in Ghaziabad on May 5, and has raised questions about the safety of these structures.
The gantry, located outside entry gate number 6 of the mall, loosened from the unipole to which it was riveted, possibly due to the strong winds. Both bikers were rushed to Max Hospital, Sector 19, where Munna was declared brought dead. Originally from Gopalganj in Bihar, Munna was living on rent in Faridabad. Pushpendra (30), from Etah, who was travelling pillion with him, received serious head injuries and was unresponsive to medical aid at the time of going to press, official sources told TOI.
According to the police, the signboard carried directions for Sector 17, 18 and 19, and had 'Maharaja Agrasen Marg' written on it. A police officer said the car owner, Manish Joshi, a resident of Sector 40, was waiting inside the Alto for his son to come out of the mall when the board came crashing down at the rear end of the car. He was rescued by mall security guards and police.
ASP Gaurav Grover said police had started an investigation to determine the cause of the accident and fix responsibility for the negligence that caused it.
District magistrate N P Singh told TOI he had written to the Authority to form a separate inquiry team. "I have asked them to check all such installations in the city. It is a very unfortunate event. Responsibility should be fixed and action initiated against those responsible," he said. Subsequently, Noida Authority announced its decision to initiate a probe. "I have directed an inquiry to be set up, to find out who was responsible for the incident," said Noida CEO Rama Raman. Deputy CEO Saumya Srivastava, who will head the inquiry.