Building collapses kill many in India

Two building collapses in New Delhi and Tamil Nadu states have killed at least 19 people and left dozens trapped, highlighting the need for increased monitoring of construction across India where such incidents are common.

Eleven people including five children were killed in New Delhi after a 50-year-old apartment block with 14 occupants collapsed early on Saturday, a police spokesman said.

Later on the day, a 12-storey building under construction in southern Tamil Nadu state came down, killing four workers on the spot and another four succumbed to injuries later in a hospital, said police officer George Fernandes.

Twelve injured workers have been hospitalized, while six others were allowed to go home after medical attention on Saturday night, Fernandes said.

Local media reports said more than 50 people were feared trapped in the debris of the block.

Numerous building accidents in India's largest cities have killed about 100 people in the past year, according to local media reports. More than 50 people were killed when an apartment block collapsed in Mumbai last September.

Delhi's Deputy Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma told reporters an investigation into the cause of Saturday's building collapse had been launched.

Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal called the incident a "nexus between the builder mafia and the municipal corporation". The corporation did not a answer phone call requesting comment.