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Mumbai's civic probe into the fatal Chembur tree collapse has, prima facie, found that road concretisation and diversion of a storm water drain damaged the tree's roots, leaving its base hollow and structurally weak. The collapse killed 11-year-old Vihan Shrivastav and injured four children. Three BMC officials have been suspended pending the inquiry.

Mumbai: The BMC's investigation team inspected the tree collapse site in Chembur on Thursday and, prima facie, found that the storm water drain (SWD) had been diverted during the road concretisation work, killing the tree's roots. The tree pit and base also appeared hollow. There was no free space around the tree base, an official present during the inspection said.

"The SWD has been diverted and cement concretisation surrounds the tree base, leaving no open space to maintain the tree's health. The roots visibly appear to be either dead or damaged, weakening the massive tree internally. As part of the investigation, the committee will also examine the remains of the collapsed tree, which are being kept on the premises of the Chembur police station," the official told the FPJ.

The official said the CCTV footage showed that the 40-foot-tall tree came crashing down within a second, suggesting how weak it had become. The FPJ reviewed the footage, which showed that the school bus was travelling at a normal speed when the tree suddenly collapsed, trapping the bus within seconds.

On Wednesday, Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide appointed a two-member committee comprising deputy municipal commissioners to investigate the incident and submit its report within eight days. Three officers—including the Assistant Superintendent of Gardens, a sub-engineer, and an assistant engineer from the Roads Department—were suspended for prima facie negligence pending the conclusion of the departmental inquiry.