Raigad, Aug 24, 2020: At least 15 people were injured and around 70 feared trapped under debris after a residential building collapsed on August 24 in Maharashtra’s Raigad district.
The five-story building reportedly had 45 flats.
Raigad is some 120 km south of Mumbai.
Three rescue teams, armed with specialized equipment and sniffer dogs, have been deployed to the scene of the accident, a statement from the National Disaster Response Force said.
“Today at about 6:30 pm, a G+4 building collapsed in Kajalpura area of Mahad Tehsil in District Raigad, Maharashtra. About 50 people are feared to be trapped. Three teams of 5 BN NDRF have moved. Teams have moved with all necessary CSSR equipment, Canine Squad etc,” the National Disaster Response Force had said in a statement.
Footage of the accident showed the area around the spot covered in a huge dust cloud as a part of the building collapsed to the ground.
Home Minister Amit Shah, describing the Maharashtra accident as tragic, said that he has spoken to the Director General of the disaster response force to provide all possible assistance.
The office of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray tweeted that he had been in touch with local representatives in the area. “He has assured them that all possible support will be extended for speedy rescue and relief works,” the tweet read.
Every year, heavy downpours across India during the June to September monsoon season bring down rain-sodden small and large structures deemed too dangerous to live in.
Last month, heavy rain in Mumbai caused the collapse of a multistory building, killing nine people and injuring several, authorities said.