Distressed families shouted names of relatives trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in western India on Tuesday (25), hoping to receive a response as rescue workers accelerated efforts to pull out dozens of survivors.
At least two people were killed and 18 injured when a five storey building collapsed in Mahad, an industrial town near India's financial capital Mumbai on Monday (24).
More than 90 people were trapped under the debris, with 60 now being rescued.
The building, which comprised of 47 flats, fell almost like a pack of cards, said a police official at the disaster site, adding that legal action was initiated against the builder.
Local residents and police combed through tin sheets, metal rods and other wreckage in a desperate search for survivors as ambulances rushed injured to nearby hospitals amid heavy monsoon rains and fears of Covid-19 infections.
Shabana Lora, a female survivor who stood at the disaster site with her family, said she managed to run out of the building with her three daughters when it started shaking.
"We had just fled a few metres from the building and we heard lord noise. Then there was smoke everywhere, the building was collapsed in a few seconds after we ran out," she said.
Other survivors said at least 18 people were yet to be found below the concrete and brick rubble of the residential building that housed roughly 200 residents of Mahad situated about 165 km (100 miles) south of Mumbai.
Prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday in a tweet said he was saddened by the incident and prayed the injured to recover.
The cause of the accident was not clear, but building collapses are common in India, usually due to shoddy construction, substandard materials and a disregard of regulations.
Every year, heavy downpours bring down rain-sodden small and large structures deemed too dangerous to live in.
More than 1,200 people were killed in 1,161 building collapses across India in 2017, according to latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)