NEW DELHI, July 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 people are feared trapped under debris after a huge mountain-like pile of waste crashed onto an adjacent three-story building Wednesday, causing it to collapse, following heavy rains in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, multiple local media reports said.
According to officials, there were 20 people inside the building when it collapsed, out of which four managed to escape and the remaining 16 employees are believed to be trapped inside.
Following the incident, police, fire department and disaster management personnel rushed to the spot to pull out the trapped persons.
Officials said it appears the waste mound became loose because of the continuous rains and collapsed.
Heavy rainfall has wreaked havoc in Pune and Mumbai over the past few days with the onset of the monsoon. ■
