Building collapses in rain-hit Mumbai, killing 16

TORRENTIAL rain has caused a fivestorey apartment building to collapse in Mumbai, India, killing 16 people and possibly burying more than a dozen more under the debris.

Rescuers, residents and police officers managed to pull 30 injured people from the rubble, but more than a dozen were missing and feared trapped.

The building was one of thousands in Mumbai that are more than 100 years old, with foundations that have been weakened by years of heavy monsoon rains.

Last month, another four-storey building toppled in the city’s suburb of Ghatkopar, killing 17.

Yesterday’s tragedy occurred in a congested area of Mumbai’s southern Bhendi Bazaar area, following the city’s heaviest rainfall in 15 years.

Authorities advised people living in an adjacent building to vacate after it developed cracks following Thursday’s early morning collapse.

It was not immediately clear how many people might be trapped in the toppled building.

“We are asking people to check if their family members are safe and accounted for,” officer Manoj Sharma said at the scene.

The building had housed nine families in apartments above a firstfloor nursery school, but the collapse occurred before the toddlers had arrived for the day, police said.

Rescuers used earth-moving machines to lift concrete slabs and cement blocks as they searched for survivors.

Building collapses are common in India during the monsoon season. High demand and lax regulations encourage some builders to use substandard materials or add unauthorised extra floors.