3 Killed, over 40 Trapped under Debris as Under-Construction Warehouse Collapsed in Kolkata
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 24: At least three persons were killed and more than dozen others injured while about 40 people are feared trapped beneath the debris as an under-construction warehouse cum cold storage collapsed in Taratala area in south Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon.
The incident took place at a construction site on Transport Depot Road near Brace Bridge in the city. According to initial reports, work was underway on the first floor when the iron framework of the building suddenly gave way, causing a large section of the structure to collapse.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact number of people trapped. However, there are concerns that more than 40 workers could be stranded under the rubble.
Rescue teams from the Kolkata Police, Disaster Management Group, Civil Defence and Fire and Emergency Services rushed to the site soon after the collapse. Army personnel also joined the operation, while cranes and other heavy machinery were deployed to remove the fallen iron beams and debris.
A Kolkata Police official said 18 people have so far been rescued and efforts were on to save others. “The roof of the warehouse located on the Transport Depot Road near Brace Bridge in the Taratala area collapsed around noon. Our officers have reached the spot. Some people were working at the site at the time of the incident. We fear that quite a few people may be trapped under the debris,” the officer said.
Following the collapse of the godown, Agnimitra Paul, West Bengal Minister of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, reached the site to assess the rescue operations and review arrangements to improve the ongoing response efforts. Minister Indranil Khan also reached the incident site to review the rescue efforts.
Rescue workers are using gas cutters and specialised equipment to reach those believed to be trapped inside the collapsed structure. Emergency teams continue to search the site as efforts remain focused on locating and safely evacuating survivors.
The chief minister Suvendu Adhikari also reached the accident site. He later told media persons that all the agencies were engaged in rescue operations and claimed that contact had been established with some of the people trapped under the debris.
Rescue teams have started the work of cutting the iron beam and bringing the workers out. Four columns of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army have been swiftly launched for a search and rescue operation. Deploying immediately after a distress call from the civil administration, a specialised team of Army rescue personnel, specialist engineers, and Medical personnel is assisting in rescue efforts. In coordination with NDRF, SDRF and Kolkata Police, the Indian Army personnel are sparing no effort to find the people trapped under heavy concrete debris.
Mr Adhikari quoted the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) engineers to claim that the building plan of the warehouse was “faulty.” He also announced suspension of all construction activities in the KMC area would remain suspended till July 31 pending audit of all the under-construction buildings.
The land on which the private warehouse was being built was taken on lease from the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority (SMPA). Its spokesman Sanjoy Kumar Mukherjee said, “Cranes have been mobilised to the site for rescue and debris clearance. Gas cutter sets and SMPA Fire Brigade units have reached the spot, Estate Division and Port Security teams already reached the site immediately for coordination and security. Senior officers of SMPA have already reached the site and are monitoring the situation,” he added.
The SMPA had granted a 30-year lease from August, 2024, to M/s Behera Brothers for an area measuring approx. 6,689 sqm for setting up a multi-storied warehouse and cold storage facility.
Massive chunks of iron beams and concrete crumbled when several people were engaged in the construction work. Eyewitnesses said they heard trapped victims crying out for help from beneath the debris.
“Construction activities were taking place on the ground floor while the RCC structure for the first and second floors had been completed. Suddenly, the entire structure came crashing down,” an eyewitness said.
According to a fire department official, the roof of the three-storey under-construction warehouse collapsed during casting work. He also alleged that substandard materials were being used in the construction of the warehouse.
Gas cutters were being used to cut through the iron and concrete, and rescue workers were trying to reach the trapped victims by means of vertical drilling. Sniffer dogs and overhead drones were deployed by the NDRF team to detect possible signs of life underneath the debris.
“We are following the cries for help coming from under the debris. At the same time, we are assuring the trapped people that they will be rescued soon,” a member of the Kolkata Police disaster management group said.
