Mumbai building collapse: Rescue teams are on site trying to search for survivors
A four-storey building collapsed in Mumbai's crowded Dongri neighbourhood this afternoon, leaving ten people dead and at least 40-50 people trapped under debris. National Disaster Response Force personnel are at the site looking for survivors. Fire trucks and ambulances are also on the spot. The area, full of dilapidated buildings on narrow lanes, was also flooded in heavy rain in the past weeks. The authorities said this was a "level 2" incident - while level 1 is the most serious under the system that measures the severity of a building collapse.
Here are the updates on the Mumbai Building Collapse in Dongri:
16-Year-Old, Trapped Under Heavy Iron Door, Rescued
The girl was trapped under a heavy iron beam wooden door and LPG cylinder. Rescuers cut through iron beams and removing debris using hydraulic cutters. It took them over an hour to rescue her
Death toll in Mumbai's building collapse rises to five.
Death toll in Mumbai's building collapse rises to four.
Death toll in Mumbai's building collapse rises to three.
Seven people have been rescued
Sniffer dogs have been brought in to help locate survivors under the debris
"Around 100-year-old building. The residents were offered redevelopment of the area and permission was also given, but whether it went forward or not is something that we will find out during the investigation. Right now, the focus is on rescuing those trapped in the debris," Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set up a shelter at the nearby Imamwada Municipal Secondary Girls' School
Two people have died in the incident, the BMC's disaster management cell said
Crowds have formed a human chain of sorts to pass down small debris by hand towards the outer area of the neighbourhood
The NDRF has now deployed another team to speed up rescue operations
The rescue teams' job has been made more difficult by the fact that the lanes are too narrow for ambulances, fire trucks or any other vehicles from entering. The rescue teams have to remove the debris with their own hands, as they cannot get in a vehicle that can lift the rubble
"We heard a loud noise. Everybody shouted, 'building is falling, building is falling'. I ran. It felt like a big earthquake," a teenager who saw the building fall told NDTV.
Another eyewitness said that the building that collapsed was around 80-100 years old