1st LD Writethru: 4 killed in building collapse in Mumbai

At least four persons, including three children, were killed and one injured after a five-storeyed building collapsed in Mumbai Thursday, a police official said.

The death toll may go up later in the evening as some others are still feared trapped under the debris of the building that came down like a pack of cards in Behrampada slum in Bandra East.

"The incident took place late in the afternoon. While four bodies have been pulled out of the debris, the one injured has been admitted to a local hospital with fractures," the official said.

Local TV channels showed footage of fire officials and disaster management officials scouting the debris for any person alive, while police have cordoned off the area.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, the official said, adding that the builder may be booked for negligence if that is found on his part.

Building collapses are common in India mainly because of poor construction practices fuelled by demands for low-cost houses for the country's growing middle-class.

In August this year, eight people were killed and 23 others injured in a building collapse in Bhiwandi near Mumbai. Endit