Raigad (Maharashtra):

At least 15 people were injured and around 70 were feared to be trapped under debris after a multi-storey residential building in Maharashtra’s Raigad district collapsed on Monday.

There are said to be 45 flats in the five-storey building.

Three teams of National Disaster Response Force or NDRF have been rushed to the accident spot in Mahad in Raigad district which is a four-hour drive from Mumbai. The Guardian Minister of Raigad, Aditi Tatkare, is also on her way to the spot.

“Today at about 6,50 PM, A ground+four floor building collapsed in Kajalpura area of Mahad Tehsil in District Raigad, Maharashtra. About 50 people are feared to be trapped. Three teams of NDRF have moved. Teams have moved with all the necessary equipment, Canine Squad etc,” said an NDRF official.

Footage of the accident showed the area around the spot covered in a huge dust cloud.

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 collapse of a building in Raigad, Maharashtra is very tragic. Have spoken to DG @NDRFHQ to provide all possible assistance, teams are on the way and will be assisting with the rescue operations as soon as possible. Praying for everyone’s safety.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 24, 2020

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 multi-storey building, killing nine people and injuring several, authorities said.