At least six persons were killed and another 16 injured in Mumbai after an old residential multi-storeyed building collapsed near J.J. Hospital on Thursday, an official said.
According to the BMC Disaster Control official, the injured, including two firemen, were rushed to the hospital.
So far, 14 persons have been rescued from the rubble within three hours of the incident and efforts were underway to save more lives, the official added.
As per eyewitness accounts, at least two dozen more people were still feared buried.
A woman said the building also housed a nursery-cum-playgroup. It has around two dozen tiny tots and was scheduled to open at 10 a.m., two hours after the building collapsed.
South Mumbai BJP corporator Atul Shah said the Arsiwala Building was a ground-plus-four storeyed structure, housing a godown and around 10 families.
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"It was over a century old and dilapidated like many of the buildings in the locality. But it is not immediately clear whether it is included in the list of dangerous buildings," Shah told the media from the crash site.
According to the Fire Brigade, the building's two wings have completely collapsed. The cause is under probe.
Ten fire engines, two JCBs, cranes and other machines were deployed to clear the massive heap of rubble.
This is the first major building collapse after Tuesday's deluge in the city, and the second in five days after the Chandivali Crystal Business Park crash on August 26, that claimed six lives.
--IANS
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