6 killed in building collapse in western India

At least six people have been killed and several others are still trapped under the debris of an old, three-storey building that collapsed in the western Indian state of Maharashtra late Tuesday night, a senior police official said Wednesday.

"The building collapsed in the state's Thane district around 11 p.m. local time on Tuesday. The collapse was triggered by heavy rains. So far six bodies have been pulled out of the debris. The death toll may rise later in the day as several others are still trapped," he said, on condition of anonymity.

However, 10 people were rescued by disaster management officials who have been scouting through the debris for survivors, the official said, adding all the injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital where the condition of some are said to be serious.

Local TV channels showed footage of the rescue work being carried out under heavy rains and said that civic authorities had told the residents to vacate the four-decades-old building after it was declared as a "dangerous structure."

"The building was constructed in 1972. A few days ago, it was declared a dangerous building after a structural audit and the corporation issued eviction notices but the building was not vacated," local Mayor Kalyani Patil was quoted as saying.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, the official said.

Building collapses are common in India, mainly because of poor construction practices and lack of safety standards. A number of people die in building collapses every year in this country.