Mumbai Building Collapses Killing 32, Was Declared Unsafe 6 Years Ago

Rescue workers, including those from the National Disaster National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), searched for more than a dozen people, who are still feared trapped in a 117-year-old, five-storey building that collapsed in Mumbai on Thursday morning, two days after torrential rain lashed the city. 32 people have died and 14, including four firemen, are injured and are admitted in hospital. 10 people are still feared to be trapped inside the building.

"There was a massive bang. We couldn't see anything due to the dust and smoke. Once the dust settled, we realised it was a building collapse," said Amina Sheikh a resident of the Bhendi Bazaar area, a famous and busy marketplace in one of Mumbai's most historic districts.

Smoke rose from the ruins. Desperate relatives of those trapped pleaded with rescuers to help find their loved ones after getting phone calls from trapped survivors. About 200 rescuers in hard hats hammered at concrete slabs with hammers to reach underneath, sorting through the debris.

Police suspect that heavy rain in Mumbai could have weakened the building that collapsed in Bhendi Bazaar

Rescuers said the area's narrow roads were making it difficult to bring in excavators.

The police had yet to determine what caused the collapse. Municipal officials said they received a call at 8:40 in the morning that the dilapidated Arsiwala building on Maulana Shaukat Ali Road had crashed. Nine families lived in crammed rooms in the higher floors of the building, which also housed six warehouses on the ground floor, officials said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra fadnavis visited the collapse site earlier in the day. He also announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 to the relatives of those who lost their lives.
 

CM @Dev_Fadnavis visits Husaini #MumbaiBuildingCollapse site and announces ₹5,00,000 to the kin of those who lost their lives. pic.twitter.com/ZN3iRypK2v

- CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) August 31, 2017