Two children among victims after hillside collapses onto homes in Ghatkopar as rescuers struggle with narrow access routes

MUMBAI: A landslide triggered by heavy monsoon rains killed at least six people and injured four others in a densely populated neighbourhood of Mumbai on Wednesday, authorities said.

The landslide struck before dawn in the Ghatkopar suburb when part of a hillside collapsed onto two or three homes in a tightly packed residential settlement, civic official Tanaji Kambli said.

Emergency authorities immediately deployed firefighters, police, civic teams and personnel from the National Disaster Response Force to search through the debris.

However, narrow lanes surrounding the affected houses prevented rescuers from bringing heavy machinery directly to the site, complicating operations.

Children and Teenagers Among Victims

Rescue teams pulled at least 10 people from the rubble and transported them to a government hospital.

Doctors declared six people dead on arrival, including two children and two teenagers. Meanwhile, four injured residents remained hospitalised and were receiving medical treatment.

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde subsequently visited the affected neighbourhood and announced financial compensation for the victims’ families.

Furthermore, authorities continued examining the unstable hillside for potential risks to nearby homes.

More Monsoon Rain Forecast Across Western India

India’s weather department has forecast continued active monsoon conditions across western parts of the country. Consequently, officials urged residents of flood and landslide-prone areas to remain vigilant.

Mumbai, home to more than 20 million people, experiences its heaviest rainfall between June and September.

Torrential monsoon rains frequently flood roads and railway tracks, disrupt transportation and trigger landslides and building collapses.

Crowded hillside communities face particular danger because many homes stand on unstable slopes.

Moreover, experts have repeatedly warned that rapid urbanisation, inadequate drainage and construction on fragile hillsides have increased Mumbai’s vulnerability.

Climate change is also intensifying concerns by contributing to heavier and increasingly unpredictable rainfall, raising the threat of deadly monsoon disasters across the city.