6 killed in Mumbai building collapse as monsoon rains batter India

Six people including five children were killed when a building collapsed in Mumbai, officials said on Monday, as monsoon rains pounded India’s financial capital, flooding roads and leading to school closures.

A dilapidated residential building collapsed on Sunday in the megacity’s east, trapping residents under the debris, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde said in a statement.

The deaths came as heavy rainfall paralysed parts of the city, with the India Meteorological Department recording more than 200mm (eight inches) of rain within 24 hours.

The rain triggered landslides ⁠on the expressway connecting Mumbai with Pune, forcing its closure and ‌disrupting traffic between the two cities.

Television images showed broken slabs of construction rubble on the road, while ‌rainwater fell from the roof of a tunnel.

Besides ⁠road transport, ⁠flights were disrupted and long-distance train services, including those running between Mumbai and Pune, ‌were also cancelled.