17 people, including two children, are buried alive as wall collapses in India

17 people, including two children, are buried alive in their sleep when heavy rain causes wall to collapse in India

  • Heavy rains caused 20ft high wall to collapse on four houses in southern India 
  • At least 17 people, including two seven-year-old children, were buried alive 
  • Police and fire crews are still searching through the rubble for more victims 
  • Rains have been falling since Saturday, and had already claimed five lives

At least 17 people including two young children were buried alive in their sleep as a 20ft high wall collapsed on their homes amid heavy rains in India.

Police said the wall came down around 5.30am in a village 30 miles north of the city of Coimbatore, in southern India, crushing four houses.

The dead include two seven-year-old children, two teenagers, and their older relatives. Fire crews using excavators are still searching the rubble for more victims.

Police were called to the village of Nadu, in southern India, around 5.30am after a 20ft wall collapsed on four homes, burying the occupants alive as they slept

Authorities have announced compensation of 4,000 rupees (£40) for the surviving relatives of the victims for each family member they lost.

The wall collapsed amid heavy rains that have been lashing Tamil Nadu state since Saturday and have already claimed five lives, the Hindustan Times reported.  

Building collapses are tragically common in India during wet periods with rickety and poorly maintained structures buckling under the weight of continuous rain.

In July a collapsing wall killed 30 people in Mumbai.

At least 17 people - including two seven-year-old children and two teenagers - are among the dead, with fire crews still searching for more victims

At least 17 people – including two seven-year-old children and two teenagers – are among the dead, with fire crews still searching for more victims

Forecasters say Tamil Nadu state is due to receive more heavy rain over the next 24 hours, with warnings out across all six of the state’s districts. 

Schools have been closed amid the downpour, while officials have warned that reservoirs and rivers are at their maximum level. 

Tamil Nadu state, and especially the city of Chennai, were hit by major droughts this summer that saw water shipped in from surrounding areas to meet supply. 



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