Building collapse kills 7 in India after monsoon rains

A three-story building collapsed after monsoon rains in a hilly area of northern India on Sunday, killing at least seven people, officials said Monday.

Rescuers were looking for half a dozen people, including some soldiers, still unaccounted for early Monday.

Several soldiers were among the 31 people rescued since the collapse occurred in the town of Solan, 310 kilometers (195 miles) north of New Delhi.

Police officer Vinod said the dead were six army soldiers and one civilian. He uses one name.

Most of the people affected were sitting in a ground floor restaurant in the building when it collapsed because of a weakened foundation, Jai Ram Thakur, the state’s top elected leader.

More than 30 rescuers from the National Disaster Response Force used drillers and gas cutters to clear the rubble overnight, said Krishan Kumar, a NDRF spokesman.

Building collapses are common in India during the June-September monsoon season, when heavy rains weaken the foundations of structures that are poorly constructed.