A terrible tragedy in Taratala, where an under-construction warehouse roof collapsed, killing four people. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said 18 are in hospital and about 12-15 workers are still trapped inside the rubble.
A massive tragedy has struck Taratala, where the roof of an under-construction warehouse collapsed, killing four people so far. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari confirmed the deaths in a press conference at Nabanna. He identified two of the victims as Krishna Chowdhury and Rohit Chowdhury. The CM also said that 18 injured people have been admitted to the hospital, while another 12 to 15 are still feared trapped under the debris.
“Rescue operations are going on at a war footing,” the CM stated. He assured that arrangements for water and oxygen have been made for those trapped inside. The rescue work will continue through the night, and lights have been set up for this purpose. The Chief Minister also announced that the state government will give an official statement on the accident in the legislative assembly tomorrow.
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Talking about the building itself, Suvendu Adhikari said, “The plan for this building was approved this year. The land is owned by Behara Brothers.” He added, “Initially, municipal engineers have told us there was a flaw in the plan. We will decide what legal action to take after we get the final report.”
The Chief Minister specified that the accident happened at 12:07 PM. He said that any financial assistance for the victims will be announced on Thursday. “If the police, civil defence, and fire brigade hadn’t started the rescue work so quickly, the death toll would have been much higher,” he said. “We decided not to delay and called in the army. They started their rescue work between 3:15 and 3:20 PM.”
He confirmed that 18 people have been rescued alive and are being treated at SSKM Hospital, where Health Minister Sumana Sarkar is overseeing everything. “The rescue is on a war footing. The NDRF and the Army have informed us that they’ve managed to make contact with the 12-15 people trapped inside. Water and oxygen have been sent to them. We are hopeful that we can rescue them soon,” he added.
According to initial information, the land belongs to the port authority. It was leased to a tea company, which had been constructing this warehouse for the last year and a half. The structure collapsed during the construction work. Apparently, workers had gone inside to repair the structure and try to put it back together. That’s when the entire tin roof came crashing down with a loud noise. Local residents say many people are trapped inside.
Sources on the ground said that work was going on as usual on Tuesday morning. About half an hour before the collapse, an iron beam had shifted, and some parts had broken. The workers were trying to fix it and had gone under the shed to re-erect the whole structure when the entire tin shed collapsed on them.
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Right now, cranes are being used to cut and remove the heavy iron beams. Rescue teams are using gas cutters for the iron and concrete. They are also trying to reach the trapped individuals by drilling vertically from top to bottom. As mentioned, oxygen, water, and dry food are being supplied to those stuck inside. The police, fire brigade, army, and the disaster management team are all working together at a frantic pace. The CM has also stressed that the rescue work is being done as fast as possible.
State ministers Agnimitra Pal and Indranil Khan have reached the spot. Kolkata Municipal Commissioner Smita Pandey, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda, and other senior police officers including the DC are also present. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari also visited the site. Speaking to PTI, Minister Indranil Khan said, “We will definitely look into the cause of the accident and whether there were any irregularities. But right now, our priority is to rescue as many affected people as possible.”