India

Death toll from India building collapse hits 60

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Indian officials say the death toll from a building collapse in Mumbai has risen to 60, after rescue teams ended their search for survivors.

Officials announced the death toll on Sunday, two days after a residential five-story building in eastern Mumbai collapsed.

“The toll has now risen to 60 and we have now called off the search for more bodies in the debris,” said Mumbai deputy police commissioner Tanaji Ghadge.

“There is no one else to search for except that the debris now needs to be cleared up.”

Authorities from the National Disaster Response Force say 33 people were rescued from the ruins.

The death toll may rise if victims taken to the hospital die of injuries.

Workers of the building’s owner, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, and their families had reportedly been asked to evacuate the building earlier this year.

According to Mumbai mayor Sunil Prabhu, the block had not been officially listed as dilapidated.

The building is said to have been around 30 years old and was home to 22 families.

In April, 72 people died in a similar incident in Thane outside Mumbai.

Building collapses are common in India due to inadequate supervision in constructing multistory structures and poor building standards.

According to statistics gathered by the Guardian, in 2012, over 2,650 people lost their lives as a result of the collapse of buildings and bridges in India.

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