Building collapsed in Maharashtra state in India, dozens scared for stairway


The figures are based on initial reports, according to Anupam Srivastava, head of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

Three NDRF teams are on their way from the city of Pune to the city of Mahad in the Raigaid district, where the five-story building collapsed, Srivastava told CNN.

The teams are expected to reach the site in the early hours of Tuesday morning local time (5 pm ET), when they “will have a better idea of ​​the situation,” he added.

Following the incident, the Twitter account for the office of Prime Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray tweeted: “CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray spoke with MLA @BharatGogawale and Collector Nidhi Chaudhary to inquire about the collapse in Mahad. He assured them that all possible support will be extended for rapid rescue and relief work.”
Minister of Home Affairs of India, Amit Shah, tweeted: “The collapse of a building in Raigad, Maharashtra is very tragic. Talked to DG @NDRFHQ to provide all possible assistance, teams are on the move and will assist in the rescue operations as soon as possible. Pray for everyone’s safety.”
Monsoon rains expand tea farm in India's Kerala state, killing at least 43 people
For centuries, agriculture in South Asia has been dependent on the annual monsoon, which runs from about June to September. But intense rains and floods also wreak havoc and billions of dollars in damage and economic loss across much of the region each year.

The southwestern state of Kerala has been plagued this season by rain and flooding. At least 43 people, including three children, died earlier this month after torrential rains caused a landing.

Monsoon rains have caused deadly floods in the eastern Indian states of Assam and Bihar since May, affecting more than 2.4 million people, flooding large parts of a national park, and killing more than 100 wildlife, including a dozen rhinos.

Elsewhere in the region, Nepal has sustained massive landslides and severe floods, while nearly one-third of Bangladesh – and a fifth of its population of 161 million people – have been affected by floods.

Emma Reynolds, Helen Regan and Swati Gupta of CNN contributed to this report.

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