MUMBAI: A 40-year old four-storey building collapsed in the Indian city of Mumbai on Tuesday, killing at least eight people with more than 20 feared trapped, fire and police officials said.

"Search and rescue operations are still on," said PS Rahangdale, chief fire officer of the Mumbai Fire Brigade, adding two firemen were injured during the rescue operation.

A total of 16 people had been rescued so far, he said.

The ground floor of the building in the suburb of Ghatkopar housed a nursing home, which was vacant at the time, while the rest of the building was occupied by three or four families on each floor, he said.

In 2013, 145 people were killed in three separate building collapses around Mumbai, on the western coast, the highest in recent years.

In the eastern city of Kolkata, a portion of an almost century-old building collapsed killing two people and some were feared trapped, media channels reported.