Hundreds feared trapped as five-storey building collapses in India

Rescue workers reportedly searching for 200 people among rubble of apartment complex

Screengrab from NDTV (New Delhi Television) video footage showing the collapse of a five-storey building in Mahad, India, 24 August 2020. (NDTV/Screengrab)

Hundreds of people are feared trapped under rubble after a five-storey building collapsed in India.

Three floors of the apartment block in the city of Mahad, in Raigad district, crumbled shortly before 7pm on Monday, according to local reports.

More than 200 people are thought to be trapped beneath the debris of the building, The Times of India reports.

Children are among the missing, according to Reuters, while 28 people have been pulled out by rescue workers and residents.

Three teams from India’s National Disaster Response Force are at the scene alongside police and fire crews.

There have been no reports of injuries or deaths.

It is not yet clear what caused the building, located about 170km (105 miles) south of Mumbai, to collapse.

India’s home minister Amit Shah said he had spoken to the director general of the disaster response force about the “tragic” incident.

He tweeted: “The collapse of a building in Raigad, Maharashtra is very tragic.

“Have spoken to DG @NDRFHQ to provide all possible assistance, teams are on the way and will be assisting with the rescue operations as soon as possible. Praying for everyone’s safety.”