Deputy municipal commissioner of BMC tested coronavirus positive, dies

A 55-year-old officer, working as deputy commissioner in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has died of Coronavirus on Tuesday morning. He was tested positive of COVID yesterday.

Mumbai (Maharashtra): A 55-year-old Deputy Municipal Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) who had tested positive for coronavirus died on Tuesday. The deceased, who was attached to the water supply project department, is the first high-ranking BMC official who has died after contracting the viral infection.

He had tested positive only the day before. BMC ward office informed him about the test result, but he preferred to stay at home, saying he was not feeling any symptoms of coronavirus.

BMC, however, said the exact cause of death was not known yet, and the official was not involved in any field work related to the pandemic.

The officer worked at the BMC headquarters in South Mumbai, the sources added.

He was instrumental in pushing the Gargai dam project and also in the successful completion of a 15 km water tunnel between Gundawali and Bhandup, a senior official said.

Earlier on Tuesday, a 55-year-old Shiv Sena corporator from Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra's Thane district died of COVID-19. The deceased had tested positive for coronavirus a week ago and was on ventilator support at a hospital in Thane city.

The BMC recently announced that families of the employees who died after testing positive for the virus would get compensation of Rs 50 lakh.