MUMBAI: Almost three months after being admitted in the hospital, Harshita Harish Kumar (21) who was injured in a tree crash incident at Khar was discharged and back home on August 3, Monday.He father Harish Kumar said, “Harshita is finally home after 82 days in the hospital and multiple surgeries and procedures It’s been a very tough journey, and recovery is still ongoing. From coming Tuesday, we’ll be starting her physiotherapy again at Kokilaben Centre OPDWe want to thank everyone for their prayers, and support—it truly kept us going.”On May 10, Sunday around 5.30 pm four persons were travelling in the autorickshaw at Linking Road in Khar area when a tree came crashing down inuring two. The critically injured were Aarika Srivastava (15) and her friend Harshita (21), while Arika’s elder sister Manasvi (19) and the rickshaw driver escaped with minor injuries.On May 17, Srivastava had died while undergoing treatment.In the police complaint filed in the case Aarika’s sister Manasvi Srivastava (19) had said: “I and my sister went to meet my friend Harshita (21) on Dattatray Road in Santacruz. We three left from Harshita’s home and took a rickshaw and headed to Bandra for a meal when a large tree suddenly fell on our rickshaw at 5.30 pm while passing on Linking Road in Khar towards Bandra. The tree uprooted near the construction site. Due to the tree falling on our rickshaw, my sister and my friend were injured.“The incident had raised concerns over tree safety in Mumbai. In recent years, several people have been injured or killed in tree fall incidents across the city, including fatal accidents in Worli and Parel in 2024.Following the onset of monsoons this year, in another unfortunate incident a school going student Vihaan Srivastava (11) was killed and four others were injured after a roadside peepal tree was uprooted and crashed onto a school van carrying children from Universal High School in Chembur west. The incident took place around 3 pm on 11th road in Chembur when the tree fell on the school van that was carrying around 12 students.
