In the western Indian city of Mumbai, at least 11 people were murdered when a residential structure fell.
Officials said that more people are believed to be trapped under the rubble in the Malad neighborhood, and that rescue attempts are ongoing.
Although an inquiry has been undertaken, a minister believes the collapse on Wednesday night was caused by heavy rainfall.
In India, building collapses are prevalent, particularly during the monsoon season.
Officials said they’ve evacuated additional damaged structures in the vicinity since heavy rains are expected to continue for the next several days. The city has been placed on high alert as a result of the rains, which have caused water logging in various regions.
According to police, 18 individuals were rescued from the rubble, but only seven of them survived. “Police will carry out a proper investigation and take further action,” senior officer Dilip Sawant told local media.
According to witnesses, the two-story building crashed onto smaller buildings nearby.
“The incident took place around 10:15 pm. I came out after two persons asked us to leave the building. As I was rushing out, I saw three buildings, including a dairy, were demolished near our building,” Mumbai Mirror newspaper quoted a local resident as saying.
Aslam Shaikh, a state minister in Maharashtra, stated that rescue operations will continue to hunt for people buried underneath the debris.
“Buildings have collapsed due to rain. Rescue operation is underway. Injured people have been shifted to the hospital. Debris of the buildings is being removed to see if more people are stuck under it,” Mr Shaikh said.
Smaller events, such as wall collapses, have been recorded from other sections of the city, although no injuries have yet been recorded. Heavy rains are expected to continue to pummeled the city over the next three days, putting low-lying regions at danger of flooding, according to weather experts.
