11 dead, dozens feared trapped under rubble of collapsed Mumbai building after heavy rain soaks city
Thousands of Mumbai buildings at risk of collapse, their foundations weakened partly by some of the heaviest rainfall that the city has witnessed in more than 15 years
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At least 11 people died and dozens were feared trapped when a building collapsed in India’s financial capital of Mumbai Thursday, after days of heavy rain swamped the city.
Rescuers using diggers sifted through the remains of the four-storey residential building which gave way around 08:40am in the densely populated area of Bhendi Bazaar.
It was the latest deadly housing collapse to strike the teeming metropolis – shining a spotlight on poor construction standards in the Asian country – and came after heavy rains and inundations in the city killed 10 people.
Eleven people had been confirmed dead, and 14 had been injured and taken to hospital, with four firemen also injured, the chief fire official said.
Another 25 people are feared trapped in the debris.
#MumbaiBuildingCollapse: Death toll rises to 10; rescue operation underway https://t.co/F7gpv3798o pic.twitter.com/YPbuRtn2RF— DNA (@dna) August 31, 2017
Building collapses are common in Mumbai, especially during the monsoon season from late June to September, when heavy rains lash the western Indian city.
The collapse came as officials said the death toll from the floods was expected to rise above 10, despite the waters receding after better weather.
“We are still on the lookout for more missing persons and the number may go up,” Santosh Kadam, spokesman for disaster control in Thane, said.
Bhendi Bazaar, a scruffy colonial-era market, is one of Mumbai’s most historic districts.
It is currently undergoing a US$600 million redevelopment project that is set to replace hundreds of ramshackle, decades-old low-rise buildings with around a dozen glitzy new tower blocks.
Distraught residents described hearing a loud crash before rushing to the scene of the collapsed structure to try to help.
“There was a huge noise and we all came running,” Naseem Mogradia, who lives two lanes away, said.
Shahid Khan, 52, said he didn’t know whether his friend and seven family members who lived on the ground floor were alive or dead.
“I am just trying to help with rescue operations,” he said.
Mumbai has been hit by several deadly building collapses in recent years, often caused by shoddy construction, poor quality materials or ageing buildings.
Millions are forced to live in cramped, ramshackle properties because of rising real estate prices and a lack of housing for the poor.
Activists say housing societies, private owners and builders often cut corners to save on costs. They also claim that corruption plays a part with officials sometimes knowingly certifying unsound buildings in return for money.
“Most of the buildings in Bhendi Bazaar are old and dilapidated. We always live in fear that they will collapse during monsoons,” 63-year-old Mohammed Shaikh said.
In July, 17 people including a three-month-old baby, died when a four-storey building gave way in the northern suburb of Ghatkopar.
In 2013, 60 people were killed when a residential block came crashing down in one of Mumbai’s worst housing disasters.
Additional reporting by Associated Press and Reuters
