At least 40 feared trapped in residential building collapse in India's Mumbai

A four-story residential building collapsed Tuesday in a crowded neighborhood in Mumbai, India's financial and entertainment capital, and several people were feared trapped in the rubble, an official said.

Fire official Ashok Talpade said rescuers had reached the site in Mumbai's Dongri section and pulled out three people and rushed them to a hospital. He didn't know whether they were dead or alive.

Talpade said the building was located in a narrow lane in a congested area and it was difficult to send earth-moving machines there.

The collapse trapped between 40 and 50 people, broadcaster NDTV reported, quoting police officials.

Rescue workers and firefighters were on the scene, searching for survivors, the report said.

Television images showed people forming a human chain to remove the rubble using their hands.

"The building crashed with a heavy sound and we thought there was an earthquake," local residents told the New Delhi Television news channel. They said the building was 70-80 years old.

Building collapses are common in India during the June-September monsoon season, when heavy rains weaken the foundations of structures that are poorly constructed. Mumbai was lashed by heavy rains early this month.

On Sunday, a three-story building collapsed in a hilly area in the northern Indian town of Solan following heavy rains, killing 14 people.