'He was our sunshine': Family mourns Vihaan Srivastava after Chembur tree collapse

11-year-old Vihaan Srivastava tragically died on July 30, 2026, when a large roadside tree in Chembur collapsed on a school bus. Vihaan was one of the four children who died in the tragic incident. The family was heartbroken in grief and demanded accountability for their only child. They remembered him as a bright, cheerful and affectionate boy and cremated him with his favourite cricket ball because of his immense love for the sport.

"This is negligence. The tree was in a precarious condition and should have been removed. Residents had raised concerns earlier. Why was no action taken?" said Vihaan's parents. The family lamented but demanded justice and was considering filing a complaint. "My grandson will not return, but justice should be done. Those responsible should be punished. Other children should not have to suffer because of such negligence," said the devastated grandfather.

Also Read: Six killed in Antwerp apartment fire as blaze engulfs 10-storey residential block

“How can authorities take the issue of weak trees lightly? Trees that pose a risk should be identified and removed on an urgent basis. Funds are allocated for such work, but questions need to be asked about whether they are being properly utilised. Maintenance and pruning of trees must be carried out regularly,” said Anil Kumar Srivastava, a relative of the family.

"He was our sunshine. He was very smart and loved cricket. We cremated him with his cricket ball because the game meant so much to him," said a family member as reported by NDTV.

Neighbours who attended Vihaan's funeral said that they had repeatedly raised concerns about the tree before the monsoon season. They have criticised the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for civic negligence and demanded a thorough investigation into the tragedy. The BMC has a dismal record of infrastructure maintenance. One of the most tragic incidents happened in May 2024 when a staggering 120 x 120 feet and 250-tonne massive, illegal advertisement billboard touted as “Asia's largest” collapsed on a crowded petrol pump killing 17 people and injuring 75 others. Its official statistics shows from 2025, around 855 incidents of tree collapse were recorded.