Mumbai building collapse results in deaths, injuries

Rescue workers clear debris from the site of a building collapse in Mumbai, India, Aug. 31, 2017. (Associated Press)

A five-story residential building collapsed Thursday in India’s financial capital of Mumbai, killing at least 12 people and injuring 14, authorities said.

The collapse followed a torrential downpour that slammed the country’s western region.

Rescuers pulled 13 people from the rubble, with another 25 thought to be trapped under the debris as efforts to free them continued.

Some of the heaviest rainfall in more than 15 years has pounded the city, leaving thousands of buildings that are more than 100 years old at risk of collapse. The phenomenon is not uncommon in India during the monsoon months, which run from June to September.

Authorities have recommended that people living in an adjacent building vacate the premises, after that building developed cracks following Thursday's collapse.

A police official at the site said it was not immediately clear how many people were trapped in the collapsed building, but said it was home to nine families.

"We are asking people to check if their family members are safe and accounted for," Manoj Sharma said.

The heavy rainfall has paralyzed the city, as public transportation and airports were shut down Tuesday due to extreme flooding. In many places, people had to abandon their vehicles and wade through waist-deep water to reach their homes.

Schools, colleges and offices reopened Thursday after being closed the previous day, but attendance was scarce.

The city has drawn criticism for its poor planning as monsoon season continues to wreak havoc on the city every year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.