UPDATE 2 - Death toll from landslides in India’s Mumbai rises to 29

REVISES DEATH TOLL, HEADLINE ADDS REMARKS FROM OFFICIAL, MAHARASHTRA MINISTER’S OFFICE

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – The death toll in the Indian city of Mumbai from landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains has risen to 29, an official said late Sunday.

Tanaji Kamble, public relations officer at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), told Anadolu Agency that 19 people were killed early Sunday when a wall collapsed in the suburb of Chembur, while 10 others were killed after huts collapsed on each other in a landslide in the Vikhroli area late Saturday.

Mumbai is currently witnessing monsoon rains that have caused waterlogging in some areas. Train services have also been disrupted.

The Maharashtra chief minister's office said Sunday that in view of the heavy rainfall forecast for the next four to five days in Mumbai, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has directed all agencies "to be prepared for any eventualities" and all "rescue teams must be on standby.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened "by the loss of lives due to wall collapses in Chembur and Vikhroli in Mumbai."

"In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. Praying that those who are injured have a speedy recovery," he wrote on Twitter, also announcing 200,000 Indian rupees ($2,680) in compensation to the kin of the deceased.