A residential building collapsed in Bombay, India, today, leaving 10 dead, 18 injured and more than a dozen still trapped under debris.
The dilapidated four-storey structure, more than 100 years old, was home to 16 families, said the municipal commissioner of Bombay, also known as Mumbai.
The building caved in as most residents were sleeping, he said. Forty-seven people were rescued and 28 of them were taken to a nearby hospital. At least 20 people were still trapped under the debris, the commissioner added.
Rescue officials also evacuated residents of two buildings adjoining the collapsed structure, and local residents helped in clearing wood and tin debris.
Rescue work was hampered as the building could only be approached through a narrow and crowded single lane.
Building collapses are common in formerly Bombay, where more than 16,000 dilapidated buildings have been declared unsafe.
City officials repeatedly issue evacuation notices, but residents of these buildings - mostly low-income families, have ignored the orders, and landlords rarely spend money on their upkeep.
AP