Building collapse kills six in Mumbai as torrential rain batters city
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A worker clearing a fallen tree after heavy rainfall in Mumbai, India, on July 5.
PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW DELHI – Six people, including five children, were killed when a building collapsed in Mumbai, officials said on July 6, as monsoon rain pounded India’s financial capital, flooding roads and leading to school closures.
A dilapidated residential building collapsed on July 5 in the megacity’s east, trapping residents under the debris, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde said in a statement.
The deaths came as heavy rainfall paralysed parts of the city, with the India Meteorological Department recording more than 200mm of rain within 24 hours.
Hundreds of millions of people in India rely on the annual monsoon winds to bring vital rains that sustain agriculture and industry.
However, climate change is shifting weather patterns and making the world’s most populous country hotter. The 2026 El Nino weather phenomenon has prompted warnings of lower rainfall.
The weather office issued a red alert warning for Mumbai on July 6, forecasting continued heavy rain and gusty winds.
With roads inundated, the Mumbai authorities declared July 6 a holiday for all schools and colleges.
Tawde called on people to stay indoors if possible, warning of falling trees and branches due to strong winds.
The downpours in Mumbai follow weeks of sweltering heat, with the authorities imposing restrictions on water use in June and cutting supplies to swimming pools and construction sites. The city of more than 20 million people is grappling with concerns over pressure on water resources from expanding data-centre infrastructure, whose large cooling requirements could exacerbate supply strains. AFP