Buildings Collapse in Heavy Rain in Mumbai, Killing 8

Heavy rains reaching India's Mumbai financial hub triggered a multi-story building to fall, killing eight people and injuring a handful, officials said.

The dilapidated six-story building in the south of the city was home to five or six families who remained behind after the inhabitants were ordered to leave as they were under renovation, eyewitnesses told Reuters quoting TV channels.

Two people were confirmed dead on Thursday night, with emergency relief authorities pulling four more bodies out of rubble throughout the week, fire and police officers said.

Several residents were stuck under the rubble, with several more stranded in the section left standing after the fall, creating chaos, said City Fire Chief PS Rahangdale.

"The risk of secondary collapse can't be ruled out," he added.

Another building collapsed earlier in the western suburb of Malad, killing two, including a boy, and injuring a few.

Every year, severe downpours in Mumbai carry down several tiny and big rain-sodden buildings that are considered too unsafe to stay in.

Intense rains over the previous few days prompted weather officials on Thursday to upgrade to 'red' from 'orange' an alert called for the city and surrounding areas.