Five die in Mumbai building collapse

At least five people were killed when a portion of a four-storey building in Mumbai collapsed in heavy monsoon rains, Indian authorities said today.

National Disaster Management Authority official Vijayendra Dahiya said rescuers were using sensors and life detectors to find five people still feared trapped in the debris of the building in the Sion area of India’s financial capital.

Another six people were injured when the building caved in last night.

Building collapses are common in India as builders try to cut corners by using substandard materials, and as multi-storey structures are built with inadequate supervision.

In April, 74 people were killed when an eight-storey building being constructed illegally in the Mumbai suburb of Thane caved in.

It was the worst building collapse in the country in decades.