Mumbai building collapse: 6 dead, several feared trapped under debris

Mumbai: Six people have died and seven are left injured after a building collapsed in the Mumbai suburb of Santa Cruz this morning. Several people are suspected trapped in the debris of a huge pile of concrete slabs, rubble and dust. (See pics)

The building had been condemned as unsafe by city officials.

While it was officially uninhabited, some families were living there illegally, said rescue officials.
According to fire brigade officials, a large portion of the dilapidated building near the Grand Hyatt hotel fell on an adjoining slum area, trapping some of its residents.

Dozens of rescuers scoured the site in search of anyone trapped under the wreckage of the building, located in a densely populated area of the city and surrounded by other structures which were hit with debris.

Police initially thought no-one was in the building as it had been cleared of tenants after being declared uninhabitable by municipal authorities who had served a demolition notice.

But in teeming Mumbai, where housing is in huge demand and extremely costly, the demolition order had been challenged by the tenants, local residents told NDTV.

"This tragedy could have been avoided. We need laws that give more powers to the municipal corporation for acting in time against such structures," Mumbai mayor Sunil Prabhu told NDTV.

Last September, a rundown residential block in Mumbai collapsed, killing 60 people. Another building collapse on the outskirts of the city in April last year killed 74.