Five Children, Woman Killed After House Collapses Amid Heavy Rains In Mumbai
Heavy rains trigger fatal house collapse in Mumbai's Mankhurd.
At least six people, including five children, were killed after a portion of a three-storey chawl collapsed in Mumbai's Mankhurd area on Sunday night amid heavy rainfall, officials said. The tragic incident occurred in the Janata Nagar locality, where sections of residential structures gave way, trapping several occupants beneath the debris. Rescue teams rushed to the site and launched an intensive operation to search for survivors as heavy rain continued to affect parts of the city.
According to a statement issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor's Office, the collapse took place at around 8.30 p.m. near the Hanuman Temple in Janata Nagar. Officials said portions of two to three ground-plus-three-storey structures in Chawl No. 5 collapsed, leaving multiple residents trapped. Emergency services were alerted immediately, and rescue efforts began shortly after the incident was reported.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Mumbai Fire Brigade, local police, BMC ward officials and 108 ambulance services were deployed to the scene to carry out rescue and relief operations. Rescue personnel worked through the rubble using specialised equipment to locate and extricate those trapped under the collapsed structures. Authorities confirmed that six people lost their lives in the incident, including five children and one woman. The condition of any injured survivors was not immediately disclosed, while rescue teams continued to search the debris to ensure no one remained trapped.
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The collapse is believed to have occurred amid persistent heavy rainfall that has lashed Mumbai over the past several days. Continuous rain has led to waterlogging, flooding and structural concerns across several low-lying areas of the city, prompting civic authorities to remain on high alert. While the exact cause of the collapse is yet to be officially determined, prolonged exposure to heavy rain is often considered a major risk factor for ageing and poorly maintained buildings, particularly in densely populated neighbourhoods.
Mumbai witnesses numerous building-related incidents during the monsoon each year, especially in older residential clusters where weakened structures become increasingly vulnerable after sustained rainfall. Civic authorities regularly conduct surveys to identify dangerous buildings and advise residents to vacate structures deemed unsafe. However, challenges such as overcrowding, housing shortages and delays in redevelopment often result in families continuing to live in dilapidated buildings despite the risks.
Authorities are expected to conduct a detailed structural assessment and investigate the circumstances leading to the collapse. The findings will determine whether negligence, structural failure or weather-related factors contributed to the tragedy. Meanwhile, rescue and recovery operations continued at the site, with officials monitoring the situation closely as heavy rainfall is forecast to persist over Mumbai and surrounding regions. The incident has once again highlighted the vulnerability of ageing residential structures during the monsoon season and renewed calls for faster redevelopment and stricter enforcement of building safety norms.
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