Eight killed in India building collapse

At least eight people were killed in central India after a residential building that was due for repairs collapsed early Monday, officials said, reports AP.

Dozens are feared trapped in the rubble of the four-story building in Maharashtra state.

At least 11 people were injured when the building collapsed, said Pankaj Ashiya, the commissioner of Bhiwandi in Thane district, a suburb of India’s financial capital Mumbai.

He said that the building was over 30 years old and needed repairs, which couldn’t be carried out due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Maharashtra is one of India’s hardest hit states by the virus with over a million reported cases. India has reported over 5 million cases.

India’s National Disaster Response Force said that the building had collapsed at around 4am.

Building collapses are common in India during the June-September monsoon season, when heavy rains weaken the foundations of structures that are poorly constructed or old.