At least 39 dead in Indian building collapse A building in western India has collapsed, with at least 39 people reported dead and 69 injured, according to emergency officials. The seven-story structure in Thane on the outskirts of Mumbai was occupied even though it was only half-constructed. Authorities said it was being erected without permits. "The building collapsed like a pack of cards within three to four seconds," said Ramlal, a local resident. "It just tilted a bit and collapsed," he said. Rescue workers pulled an infant alive from the building as they sifted through rubble in their hunt for survivors. Police said they were searching for the builders and would charge them with culpable homicide. A shortage of cheap homes in Asia's third-largest economy has led to a rise in illegal construction by developers who use sub-standard materials and shoddy methods in order to offer rock-bottom rents to low-paid workers.