Mumbai building collapse kills 13

The number of casualties from a building collapse in India™s Mumbai has risen to 13.

The building, which housed some of the employees of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, also known as the BMC, collapsed on Friday.

“As dust settled, I realized the BMC building was gone,” said one of the neighbors.

At least 46 people were rescued by the evening, but it was not clear how many were still trapped in the rubble.

“Five members from my family were trapped inside. So far, two have been rescued. I am praying to God others will also come out alive,” said a woman, who was waiting near the collapsed building.

According to Mumbai mayor Sunil Prabhu, the block had not been officially listed as dilapidated.

In April, 72 people died in a similar incident in Thane outside Mumbai.

“Again and again, the same kinds of tragedies are striking but the government is not learning anything,” said Vinod Tawde, a politician from the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, adding, “The government should evacuate all people staying in dangerous buildings.”

BMC spokesman Vijay Khabale-Patil said, “The building was around 30 years old. We had issued a notice to them in April, to vacate the building, but they did not act.”

Rescuers, who worked into the night, pulled out 20 injured survivors that were all sent to a local hospital.

NT/AB/MHB