Five more people were pulled out from under the debris of an under-construction warehouse in Kolkata’s Taratala area on Thursday, as rescue teams continued a challenging operation to locate those still trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
According to a statement by Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari in Assembly, nine workers have so far been declared dead, while more than 20 injured are undergoing treatment. Several others are feared trapped under massive concrete slabs and twisted iron beams more than 18 hours after the collapse.
“Those rescued earlier today were taken to the hospital, and their conditions are being assessed by doctors. Every available resource has been deployed to ensure that those trapped are located and rescued at the earliest. The operation is being carried out in a highly challenging environment, but teams are working relentlessly,” a senior official said to news agency PTI.
The rescue operation continued overnight with teams from the state administration, Kolkata Police, disaster management agencies and the Indian Army’s Eastern Command using sniffer dogs, thermal detection devices, gas cutters and heavy equipment to clear the debris.
“We are proceeding carefully because of the unstable nature of the collapsed structure,” a senior police officer said.
The warehouse, located near Brace Bridge in the Taratala area, collapsed on Wednesday afternoon while construction work was underway. Officials said the roof gave way during casting work, bringing down large sections of the structure.
The building was a leasehold property under the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, officials said. Around 30–40 people were reportedly present at the site when the collapse occurred.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who visited the spot on Wednesday had said that the collapse appeared to be linked to 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.
Adhikari announced that construction work on projects approved under the previous TMC government within Kolkata’s civic limits would remain suspended until July 31 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 added that the audit 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 the affected sites will be allowed to resume from August 1 only after clearance following the inspection, the Chief Minister said. The review will later be extended to Howrah and Bidhannagar municipal areas.
Police have arrested eight people in connection with the collapse. A Special Investigation Team headed by ACP (Crime) Kunal Agarwal has been formed to investigate the incident.
Earlier, three people including the project supervisor were arrested. Officials said the arrests followed preliminary findings into possible negligence and lapses.
Eyewitnesses said construction work was underway on the ground floor while RCC structures for the upper floors had already been completed when the building suddenly came down.
The state administration has opened an emergency control room to coordinate relief efforts. Helpline numbers are 1070, 8697981070, 033-22143526 and 033-22535185.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
The prime minister also said that the West Bengal government is working round the clock to ensure that those affected receive all possible assistance. CM Adhikari has announces Rs 10 lakh ex gratia to families of each dead and Rs 1 lakh to each injured.
"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.
(With inputs from PTI)
