Pune: 17 killed in wall collapse following continuous rains

17 people have died in Pune’s Kondhwa after a portion of the wall of a residential building collapsed on Saturday due to heavy rain. Among 17, four are children and a woman.

The wall collapsed down into tin sheds next to the apartment complex, taking down the cars as the ground caved in. Tin sheds were built for labourers working at a construction site nearby, the police had said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis set up an inquiry and announced compensation of ₹4 lakh for the next of kin.

The rescue operations are underway and personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the fire department are at the site of the incident. Search for people who may be stuck are on. The wall collapsed at around 1:45 am, an official said.

"Construction was going on in a nearby plot and labourers were staying in tin sheds. Debris of the wall fell on those tin sheds. A joint operation was launched by the fire department, Pune Police and the NDRF," NDRF officer Sadanand Gawde said. The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital.

Pune witnessed heavy rain on Friday. The city has been receiving heavy rain since Thursday. As of last night, Pune received 73.1 millimetres of rain in 24 hours, the second highest rainfall in June since 2010.