Over 90 trapped in Mumbai building collapse

A multi-storey building has collapsed in the Indian city of Mumbai, leaving up to 90 people trapped. At least one person has died and rescuers are trying to reach the dozens feared to be under the rubble.

Rescuers, Sky News reports, have already pulled out seven people alive who were immediately rushed to hospital by waiting ambulances.

There were no immediate reports of casualties following the collapse of the residential building in India's financial capital, shortly after dawn, which is said to be home to up to 22 families.

Several diggers were immediately pressed into action to lift some of the larger slabs of concrete, allowing teams of rescuers to begin the task of searching for survivors, some of whom could be heard calling for help.

"Approximately 80 to 90 people are believed to be left behind in the building and trapped," said Alok Awasthi, local commander of the National Disaster Response Force.

The building is owned by by the city's civic administrative body, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. It said the building was for employees of the local administration and their families who had been asked to leave earlier this year - but did not say why.

Spokesman Vijay Khabale-Patil said: "The building was around 30 years old. We had issued a notice to them in April to vacate the building, but they did not act."

Five other apartment blocks have collapsed in or around Mumbai in recent months, including one in April that killed 74 people.

Across India, building collapses have become relatively common.