At least three people died and 12 to 18 workers are feared trapped after a three-storey warehouse under construction collapsed in Kolkata’s Taratala area on Wednesday. Rescue operations involving the Army, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, police and fire services are underway.
Twenty-one people have been pulled from the debris and taken to hospitals. Several rescued workers are in critical condition. Rescue teams continue searching for those still under the rubble.
Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, who visited the site, said multiple agencies are cooperating. He noted that 21 people have been rescued, three have died, and 12 to 18 remain trapped. SSKM Hospital is treating the injured.
Initial estimates suggest 40 to 50 labourers were present when the structure fell. Large iron beams and concrete slabs buried several workers.
The Army deployed four columns after a state request. NDRF teams are using drones, sniffer dogs, gas cutters and vertical drilling to reach those trapped. Rescue work continues under difficult conditions.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing cries for help from beneath the debris. Police disaster management personnel said they are following the sounds while reassuring those trapped.
Witnesses stated that construction was ongoing on the ground floor when the completed upper floors collapsed suddenly. A fire department official said concrete casting was in progress and substandard materials cannot be ruled out.
Three workers escaped moments before the collapse after stepping out to wash. They described panic as beams and slabs fell without warning.
The West Bengal government set up a control room at Nabanna to coordinate efforts. State ministers and officials visited the site. Priority remains rescuing victims while causes are examined later.
