Landslides kill several in India’s Mumbai after heavy rain

At least 20 people have been killed in landslides and a wall collapse as monsoon rains continue to pour down on Mumbai, India’s most populous city.

At least fourteen people were killed in the coastal Mahul area when a landslide caused a wall to collapse on several homes, India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said on Sunday as rescuers were continuing to search the rubble.

Mumbai and its surrounding suburbs, home to some 20 million people, have been pounded by monsoon rains since Saturday. The Indian Meteorological Department said early on Sunday that “moderate to heavy rain or thunder showers” were forecast for the next two days.

Authorities have reported 11 incidents of houses or walls collapsing in the Mumbai area, officials told Reuters news agency.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he was “saddened by the loss of lives” while promising financial compensation for the victims’ families.

Deadly building collapses are common, particularly in dense areas of poorly constructed homes, during the seasonal rains in Mumbai.

In June, 12 people were killed in a building collapse in Mumbai’s Malad suburb.

Aljazeera