A search is now under way to try to save those caught up in the incident in south Mumbai’s crowded Dongri neighbourhood around 11.40am.
The rescue operation in India’s financial capital is being hampered by the location of the reported 100-year-old building, which is in an area with narrow streets.
Three large teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are at the site, looking for survivors.
The building is in an area with narrow streets. Pic: : Mumbai Fire Brigade
At least five people are believed to have been rescued.
Ten ambulances and fire trucks were deployed but had to park some distance away as the streets were too narrow for them to enter, according to reports.
Crowds formed a human chain and used their bare hands to pass along small debris like bricks and wooden blocks away from the area.
A teenage who said he saw the collapse told NDTV: “We heard a loud noise. Everybody shouted, ‘building is falling, building is falling’. I ran. It felt like a big earthquake.”
Another eyewitness said: “I saw bodies… There were some seven-eight families in the building.”
Authorities have described it as a “level 2” incident. Level 1 is the most serious under a system which measures the severity of a building collapse.
A fire officer said: “There are people trapped under the debris. Search and rescue operations are in progress.
“Adjacent buildings are in very dangerous condition and are vacated.”
It was the second such collapse around the city in less than 10 days.
Torrential rains which hit the city during the monsoon season can make older or badly constructed structures unstable.
This has led to multiple building collapses over the years.
According to NDTV, in May this year officials identified 499 buildings as “dangerous”. It was 619 last year.
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