India news: Mumbai building collapse amid rains kills six

Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed on Monday on a three-nation tour of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand aimed at strengthening economic and strategic ties.

In a post on X, Modi said he would be attending various programs in the three countries over the next few days.

"The aim of these meetings would be to boost economic and strategic cooperation with these valued developmental partners and ensure the youth of our nation get more opportunities in the times to come," Modi posted.

A suspect was lynched by locals on Sunday after a 12-year-old girl's body was found stuffed in a sack in the outskirts of Kolkata in eastern West Bengal state, local media reports said.

The girl had gone missing on Saturday after leaving home to buy food, her family told local media.

Her body was recovered on Sunday, triggering violent protests in the South 24 Parganas district. The protesters blocked roads, burned tires and damaged police vehicles, reports said.

Police said four people have been arrested in connection with the girl's death.

The Telegraph newspaper reported that the mob also alleged police had released another suspect following the "intervention" of a local leader from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Authorities said they are investigating both the girl's death and the lynching.

Five children were among at least six people killed after several buildings collapsed in the western Indian city of Mumbai on Sunday amid heavy rains, authorities said.

On Monday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a 'red' alert for Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts.

The incident on Sunday occurred in the city's eastern suburb of Mankhurd where two to three multi-story homes in a slum area collapsed, killing five children and one woman, civic officials said.

The heavy monsoon rains have disrupted transport and forced schools to close in the financial capital of India.

The downpour also triggered landslides along the expressway between Mumbai and neighboring Pune, forcing its closure and disrupting traffic between the two cities.

Flight operations were affected, while several long-distance train services, including routes linking Mumbai and Pune, were cancelled.

More than 100 mm (3.9 inches) of rain fell across Mumbai, with some areas receiving up to 161 mm (6.3 inches), officials said.

Local media reported that three other people have died since late last month after trees toppled during the monsoon.

Hello! This is Shakeel from DW's New Delhi Studio bringing you the top headlines from across India.

As monsoon rains hit parts of the country, once again it has brought death and devastation. ​At least six people, including five children, were killed when a group of buildings collapsed in Mumbai on Sunday.

In West Bengal, a suspect was mob lynched by angry locals after a 12-year-old girl's body was found stuffed in a sack in the outskirts of Kolkata.

Meanwhile, a film based on the life of Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who sought justice for the 25,000 people who disappeared during Punjab's insurgency years and questioned the role of the Punjab Police, has been pulled from an OTT platform.

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