Five rescued from Mumbai building crash

Mumbai, Aug 31 (IANS) A multi-storeyed residential building collapsed near J.J. Hospital in south Mumbai trapping many on Thursday, an official said.

At least five persons were rescued from the debris within an hour of the incident and efforts were on to save more, he added.

South Mumbai BJP corporator Atul Shah said the crashed Arsiwala Builidng was a ground-plus-four storeyed structure, housing a godown and around 10 families.

"It was over a century old and dilapidated like many of the buildings in the locality. But it is not clear whether it is included on the list of dangerous buildings," Shah told mediapersons from the crash site.

According to the Fire Brigade, the building had two wings which have completely collapsed. "30-35 persons are feared trapped," they said. The cause of the crash is not known yet.

The injured rescued were rushed to the J.J. Hospital.

Ten fire engines, two JCBs, cranes and other machineries were deployed to clear the massive heap of rubble and extricate the victims underneath.

This is the first major building collapse after Tuesday's deluge in the city, and the second in five days after the Chandivali Crystal Business Park crash on August 26, that claimed six lives.