Record downpour since 1974

Mumbai: Rescue workers in the congested Pimpripada area of north Mumbai are working to get a 10-year- old girl out of the debris of a wall which collapsed, killing 18 persons early Tuesday.

A rescue worker said the girl, Sanchita Nalawade, has been crying for help and asking for water since the last few hours.

"Shortly after the wall collapsed, we rescued a child from underneath the debris. This girl Sanchita has been crying for help since 2 am," the worker, a local resident, said.

"Mujhe bahar nikalo," has been her repeated plea, he said. The girl's cry for help from under the debris set off a massive rescue effort.

Sanchita's faint voice could be heard calling out for water to drink. Efforts are on to cut a small section of the wall and clear a path for the girl to escape.

At the scene of the tragedy, an eyewitness said when the wall collapsed, it was like a tsunami accompanied by a massive thud.

"Water was getting accumulated since it began raining heavily several hours ago. It created massive pressure on the wall. It soon gave way," a resident said.