At least six people were killed and four others injured when a landslide struck a densely populated neighborhood in Mumbai early Wednesday amid heavy monsoon rains. The collapse occurred before dawn in the suburb of Ghatkopar, engulfing two to three homes in a tightly packed cluster of houses.
Rescue operations were launched by firefighters, police, and the National Disaster Response Force, but access lanes were narrow, hindering the use of heavy machinery. Rescue teams extracted at least 10 people from the debris and transported them to a government hospital. Six individuals, including two children and two teenagers, were pronounced dead upon arrival.
Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde visited the site and announced financial compensation for the victims' families. The India Meteorological Department has forecast continued active monsoon conditions across western India, urging residents in flood and landslide-prone areas to remain vigilant.
Mumbai, a city of over 20 million people, experiences its heaviest rainfall from June to September. These downpours frequently cause flooding, disrupt transportation, and trigger landslides and building collapses, particularly in informal hillside settlements. Experts have cited rapid urbanization, construction on unstable slopes, and inadequate drainage as factors increasing Mumbai's vulnerability to monsoon-related disasters, with climate change exacerbating the risks through more intense and unpredictable rainfall.