Police say at least 70 people are feared trapped after a building collapsed outside Mumbai. The cause was not clear, though such incidents are not uncommon in India.
Some 70 people were feared trapped and at least 15 injured after a five-story apartment building collapsed in the town of Mahad, 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Mumbai, police said in a statement Monday.
The building comprised 47 flats, Maharashtra state police said.
India's National Disaster Response Force sent rescue crews and canine teams to site of the accident. Rescue operations are expected to continue throughout the night.
At least 30 people have been pulled from the rubble by rescue crews and local residents, authorities said.
Uddhav Thackery, chief minister of Maharashtra state, where Mahad is located, gave local authorities his assurance of support for speedy rescue and relief work in a statement on Twitter.
The cause of the collapse was not entirely clear. Such incidents are not uncommon in India, particularly during the monsoon season, when rainy conditions make buildings with shoddy construction more vulnerable.
More than 1,200 deaths in India have been attributed to monsoon-related disasters this year, including 800 in India.
Dozens feared trapped in India building collapse
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