12 people killed as old building on the outskirts of Mumbai collapses after days of rain

MUMBAI, India – Twelve people were killed early Tuesday when an old building on the outskirts of Mumbai collapsed after days of heavy rain, an Indian official said.

The seven other residents of the building were rescued after it collapsed shortly after midnight, said S.S. Guleria, Deputy Inspector General of the National Disaster Response Force.

The building, located in the Mumbai suburb of Thane, was more than 50 years old and had been damaged by the rain, Guleria said.

Mumbai and its surrounding areas in the western Indian state of Maharashtra experience heavy rainfall during the monsoon season, which runs from June through September. The rains routinely damage buildings, especially those that are either old or poorly built.

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This story has been corrected to show that seven people were rescued, not nine.