Grandmother and her two-year-old grandson die after sheet from rooftop falls on them after storm in Greater Noida

As fierce winds and sudden rain swept through Greater Noida on Wednesday evening, 50-year-old Sunita and her two-year-old grandson Advik rushed home from the society park, hoping to reach shelter in time. Just steps away from the safety of the Sun-4 tower lobby at Migsun Ultimo, tragedy struck.

At around 8:45 pm, a massive tin sheet, torn loose by the storm from the terrace of the 21-storey building where they lived on the 6th floor, came crashing down on them, according to a TOI report.

Sunita died on the spot. Advik, possibly shielded by his grandmother, was still alive when rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries later that night.

Angry protests over death due to storm
The tragedy left Migsun Ultimo in shock and triggered a protest by residents against the developer of the society at Omicron 3 roundabout. The tin sheet wasn't the only lethal flying object that fell on the compound. The metal gate to the terrace of another tower, Sun-6, was also dislodged by the storm and landed on the society compound, burying itself several inches into the ground. Fortunately, no one was present there.

"Sunita had Advik in one arm and his red cycle in the other. The tin shed that came hurtling down on them is the one that covers the building's central shaft," Bijendra Dwivedi, a society resident. Ravindra Yadav, a member of the Migsun Ultimo Allottees Welfare Association told TOI.

"By the time we reached the spot, Sunita was motionless. Advik was still breathing faintly, but he was critically injured," he added. Sunita was declared dead on arrival at Govt Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS). Advik passed away at Fortis Hospital around midnight.

What did police say?
The TOI quoting the police official reported that Advik had suffered severe head injuries. "His ribcage was broken and his lungs were punctured. The injuries were too grave. The tin shed decapitated his grandmother. Her face was damaged beyond recognition," he added.

Originally from Bokaro in Jharkhand, the family had moved to the Greater Noida society in 2022. Sunita had been living with her son Jitendra and daughter-in-law Pammi - both IT professionals - to help raise Advik, who was born in 2023. "This was their daily routine. Sunita was devoted to the boy, always taking him to the park and carrying him home when he was tired," said a relative from Faridabad.