Building collapsed in Bombay, killing 11

An apartment building collapsed in downtown Bombay on Tuesday, leaving 11 people dead, 17 injured and more than a dozen trapped under the debris, a top city administrator said.

The dilapidated four-story structure, more than 100 years old, was home to 16 families, said Johnny Joseph, Bombay's municipal commissioner. The building caved in as most residents were sleeping, he was quoted as saying by AP.

At least 47 people were rescued and 28 of them were taken to the nearby J.J. Hospital, Joseph said. At least 20 people were still trapped, he said.

Eleven of the injured died on their way to the hospital, said P.H. Shingare, the dean of the hospital. Most the 17 people undergoing treatment at the hospital had head injuries, broken bones or internal bleeding, Khote said.

Rescue officials also evacuated residents of two buildings that adjoin the collapsed structure, while local residents helped by clearing wood and tin debris. Rescue work was hampered because the building could be approached only through a narrow, crowded lane, according to AP.

Building collapses, especially during the annual monsoon, are common in Bombay, where more than 16,000 dilapidated buildings have been declared unsafe.

City officials repeatedly slap evacuation notices on the buildings, but residents, mostly low-income families, ignore them.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, the elected head of Maharashtra State of which Bombay is the capital, ordered an investigation into the accident.

"We will take action against whoever is found guilty," he said.