Mahindra XUV700 Saves Family After Illegal 10 Ton Hoarding Crashed On It In Bengaluru
Poor infrastructure claims a lot of lives in India every year. However, there are a few fortunate occasions where people escape death. Recently, one such case has been reported from Bangalore, Karnataka. In this particular incident, a 10-ton illegal metal hoarding fell on a Mahindra XUV700 SUV in which a couple was travelling. Thankfully, the couple was saved by the structural integrity of the XUV700.
The images and videos showing the aftermath of this massive and illegal metal hoarding falling on the road on top of this particular XUV700 have been shared on X by Prema Mistry on their page. In the short video, we can note that the driver was sitting inside the XUV700 while the entire windshield and roof of this SUV were collapsed. The complete interior was filled with glass shards.
This same clip also shows the exterior condition of the XUV700, and it can be seen that the bonnet, grille, and other important parts of this SUV were damaged. However, the important thing to note is that despite the hoarding weighing over 10 tonnes, it managed to withstand the damage and save the lives of the couple.
Where did this incident take place?
As per the reports, this particular incident took place on Thursday, 1st May at around 7:30 PM, near Bommanahalli, which is an alternate route to Kempegowda International Airport. The driver of this XUV700, Salil Kumar, 41, who is a private company employee, and his wife, Archana, who is an IT employee, were travelling back to their home, which was a few minutes away from the location of the accident.
It was mentioned that Kumar was driving the vehicle at around 20 kmph as it was raining. However, all of a sudden, this 50-feet-wide metal hoarding weighing over 10 tonnes fell on their car. The metal structure crushed the front part of the vehicle, and both of the front doors were jammed shut.
Kumar stated, “In a split second, it was chaos… My heart was pounding… We were relieved to have survived.” According to Kumar and his wife, they both were trapped inside their XUV700 for a short duration. However, thankfully, bystanders and other motorists on the road immediately came for their help.
Illegal metal hoarding
It has been reported that the metal hoarding which fell on the road on this XUV700, which spanned 50 feet across the road, did not have any middle structural support pillar. It was only held in its place with the two side pillars. As per the sources, this particular hoarding was erected illegally several years ago, and no permission was taken from competent authorities. Neither any structural nor safety clearances were taken.
As a result of this incident, a massive traffic pile-up took place on the route. Also, Hoskote traffic police authorities were unable to remove the debris. They had to arrange heavy-duty cranes to clear the debris. Also, police had to divert traffic to alternate routes to ease congestion on this road.
Mahindra XUV700 safety
The Mahindra XUV700 is one of the safest SUVs in India, with a perfect 5-star safety rating. Tested back in 2021, the Mahindra XUV700 scored a perfect 5-star safety rating in the GNCAP crash tests. Its adult occupant protection rating was 16.03 out of 17 points. Meanwhile, the child occupant protection score was 41.66 out of 49 points.