The death toll from the collapse of a warehouse under construction in Kolkata's Taratala area has risen to 10, officials said, as rescue teams continued searching through the debris nearly a day after the incident.
Five more people were rescued from the rubble on Thursday morning, taking the total number of survivors pulled out from the site to 30, according to sources involved in the operation.
Rescue workers have been using the Indian Army's advanced ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system to search for anyone who may still be trapped beneath the collapsed structure. Authorities said all available resources had been deployed as efforts continued through the night.
Those who died in the collapse have been identified as Krishna Chowdhury (30), Rohit Chowdhury (40), Rahul Chowdhury (17), Chandrama Chowdhury (60), Pappu Rajak (40), Azgar Hossain (55), Sahil Sardar (17), Ghee Kumar (17), and two others whose identities have not yet been confirmed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced financial assistance for the victims' families. He added the West Bengal government was working round the clock to ensure affected people received all possible assistance.
"The mishap in Kolkata yesterday is saddening. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each will be given from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the mishap. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," Modi said in a post on X.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the family of each deceased victim and Rs 1 lakh for each injured person.
The state administration has opened an emergency control room to coordinate relief efforts. Helpline numbers are 1070, 8697981070, 033-22143526 and 033-22535185.
According to sources at SSKM Hospital, where many of the injured are being treated, one more person died from injuries on Thursday morning. Authorities said they were working to verify and officially confirm details of all the victims.
Rescue operations have been overseen by senior state government and civic officials, including Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Commissioner Smita Pandey.
"The rescue operation is being carried out on a war footing. Advanced equipment, including the Army's ground-penetrating radar, cameras and other specialised devices, is being used to locate possible survivors. Our priority remains saving lives and ensuring immediate medical assistance to the injured," a senior state government official said.
The Army's GPR system is capable of detecting movement and pulse signals beneath layers of debris, allowing rescuers to focus excavation efforts on specific locations.
Officials said cameras were also being inserted beneath the rubble to search for trapped people. Mobile phone tower data is being used to help locate individuals whose phones may still be active under the debris.
Nineteen rescued people are currently undergoing treatment at the Trauma Centre of SSKM Hospital, official sources said.
Arrests and investigation
Police have launched a criminal investigation into the collapse and have arrested several people in connection with the incident.
Those arrested include warehouse owner Shambhunath Behera, structural engineer Kamal Samanta, Gulzar Hussain, supervisor of Ayan Traders, labour supplier Dibakar Bhandari and Abdul Hamid.
Kolkata Police registered a suo motu case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, along with other relevant charges.
"We have initiated a criminal investigation into the collapse. At least five persons have been arrested so far, and further inquiries are underway to identify others who may have been responsible. We are examining all aspects, including structural safety compliance and operational procedures at the warehouse," a senior police officer said.
Investigators are examining whether violations of safety norms contributed to the collapse of the warehouse, which had been leased by Behera Brothers on Transport Depot Road in Taratala.
Police later said eight people had been arrested in connection with the incident. A Special Investigation Team headed by ACP (Crime) Kunal Agarwal has been formed to investigate the case.
Earlier, three people, including the project supervisor, were arrested. Officials said the arrests followed preliminary findings into possible negligence and lapses.
Questions over structural safety
Following a visit to the site on Wednesday, Chief Minister Adhikari suggested the collapse appeared to have been caused by structural issues rather than weather conditions.
“What I saw convinced me that the collapse did not take place on account of the rains or possible soft soil on which the construction was taking place. It was because of a faulty structural design in which the iron beams weren't able to take the load of concrete and crumbled to the ground,” he said.
The chief minister announced that construction work on projects approved under the previous TMC government within Kolkata's civic limits would remain suspended until 31 July pending safety audits.
“I have directed the KMC commissioner and the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department to stop work at all under-construction projects approved by the previous government, especially commercial buildings, including projects where permission was granted after filling up water bodies,” he said.
He said the audits would examine site plans, building plans and structural compliance through a multi-agency team comprising officials from the Public Works Department, Civil Defence, Fire Services, Kolkata Police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
Construction work at affected sites will be allowed to resume from 1 August only after clearance following inspections, he said. The review will later be extended to the municipal areas of Howrah and Bidhannagar.
Eyewitnesses said work was underway on the ground floor of the structure while reinforced concrete construction on the upper floors had already been completed when the building suddenly collapsed.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)