Kolkata warehouse collapse kills 3, at least 18 workers still trapped under debris

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said that three people were killed, about 18 trapped alive and 21 workers were recovered from the under-construction warehouse in the Taratala area of south Kolkata, where the roof collapsed earlier in the day, trapping over 40 workers.

Adhikari, along with several ministers and government officials, visited the accident site to supervise the rescue operation. After his visit, he addressed the media persons at the state secretariat Nabanna.

He said the accident occurred at 12:07 pm and thanked the civil defense, the fire department, and the Kolkata Police for their initial rescue efforts, which saved many lives. He also appreciated the efforts of NDRF personnel and noted that Indian Army personnel were working at the site.

Adhikari confirmed that three people had been killed, about 21 recovered, and 12 were undergoing treatment at SSKM Hospital.

He added that 15 to 18 workers were still trapped under the debris, alive and in contact. Water and oxygen had been provided to them, and efforts were on to bring them out, with work continuing on a war footing.

At the same time, the Chief Minister said the building plan for the under-construction warehouse was faulty and that action would be taken against its owners.

He noted that the building plan was sanctioned on January 17 this year. Initially, KMC engineers said the plan was faulty, and a detailed report would be sent later in the day. Action would be taken against the owners, identified as Behera Brothers.

Adhikari further announced that work in all under-construction commercial properties in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) area would remain suspended till July 31. He said instructions had been given to the KMC to suspend work on all such properties until July 31, with audits of building plans and site plans, and on-the-spot inspections to be conducted. Those with proper papers could resume work from August 1.

The Chief Minister said he would soon visit SSKM Hospital to meet the injured workers. Out of the three workers killed, two have been identified as Rohit Chowdhury and Krishna Chowdhury.

The roof of the under-construction warehouse collapsed at Taratala on Wednesday afternoon, trapping about 40 to 50 workers. Civil defence, Indian Army, NDRF, Fire Brigade, Kolkata Police and KMC personnel are conducting rescue operations on a war footing. Hydraulic cranes and gas cutters have been brought to remove parts of the collapsed roof. State Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul reached the spot and supervised the rescue operations.

According to locals, the roof suddenly collapsed while several workers were inside. They got stuck under the rubble, and locals began rescue operations before the police, Fire Brigade and NDRF teams arrived. Information suggests there was a problem during welding work inside the factory.

A hydraulic crane capable of lifting up to 50 tonnes has been deployed. The collapsed structure has been held in place with the crane to prevent further collapse. It is initially believed that the warehouse covered about 20,000 square feet.

Since there were no walls or separate rooms inside the main structure, the entire part collapsed at once. Unable to handle the extra weight, the iron beams bent in places. Police have also deployed sniffer dogs to search for the remaining trapped workers.

"Except for the headline, no changes have been made to the story, as it has been sourced from IANS."