The warehouse collapsed at noon while construction work was underway. Huge iron girders and concrete slabs collapsed, collapsing the structure.
At least five people were killed and 17 others injured after a three-storey under-construction warehouse collapsed at Taratala in Kolkata on Wednesday. Many workers were trapped under the rubble.
Rescue operations involving the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Kolkata Police, Fire Services and civil authorities continued till late evening.
The victims have been identified
Officials have identified three of the deceased as Rohit Choudhary, 40, Krishna Choudhary, 30, and an unidentified man, believed to be around 30 years old. The authorities have not yet revealed the identities of the other two victims.
Among the injured are Durbasha Malan (56 years old), Mani Chand Kumar (22 years old), Sahid Kumar (26 years old), Rajesh Ruidas (25 years old), Biswa Prakash (28 years old), Budhan Munda (28 years old), Rajendra Rao (55 years old) and Ram Prasad Chaudhary (21 years old), according to ANI.
Read also | 5 dead, many more trapped in warehouse collapse under construction in Kolkata; The rescue is still underway
What happened?
The warehouse, located on Transport Depot Road near the Bryce Bridge, collapsed around noon while construction work was underway. According to officials, workers were present at the site when huge iron girders and concrete slabs collapsed, leading to the collapse of the structure.
A senior West Bengal health department official said five people died and 17 others were hospitalized. Earlier in the day, Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari said 21 people had been rescued.
Rescue workers said several people were believed to still be trapped under the rubble. While Adhikari initially estimated that about 18 people were still trapped, he later said he feared between 12 and 15 people were under the rubble.
“This is a very unfortunate incident,” he said at a press conference earlier. “Rescue operation is underway. State Minister Agnimitra Paul and other officials visited the site. I have just visited the site. The incident occurred at 12:07 pm… NDRF, Army, SDRF, police and fire department are working together. 12 to 15 people are still trapped inside and the Army has made contact with them. 21 people have been brought out. 18 people are undergoing treatment,” Adhikari said.
The injured were shifted to the trauma care center at SSKM Government Hospital. A multidisciplinary team including neurologists, orthopedists and general medicine experts was formed to treat the victims, many of whom sustained serious injuries.
Adhikari later reached SSKM Hospital to meet those injured in the collapse.
West Bengal Minister Indranil Khan said all agencies are working together to rescue the survivors.
“The rescue operation is ongoing and every effort is being made. Army, NDRF, government agencies, Kolkata Police, Fire Brigade, are all working together and best efforts have been made using advanced technologies, to ensure maximum number of people are recovered alive,” Khan told PTI.
Rescue operations continue
The authorities deployed cranes, heavy lifting machines, gas cutters, drones, and police dogs to locate and rescue those trapped under the rubble. Rescue workers are also conducting vertical digging operations to reach survivors.
Army personnel joined the operation after receiving a distress call from the civil administration.
Read also | 5 people die in the collapse of a warehouse under construction in Kolkata; Design flaw, says CM
The army said in a post on the
The Army added that it is coordinating with the NDRF, SDRF and Kolkata Police to locate those trapped under the heavy concrete debris.
Police officials said rescuers were responding to cries for help from under the collapsed structure.
“We are following the cries for help coming from under the rubble. At the same time, we are assuring the trapped people that they will be rescued soon,” a Kolkata Police official told PTI.
Witness scenes
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic after the collapse.
“Construction activities were taking place on the ground floor while the RCC structure for the first and second floors was being completed. The entire structure collapsed,” an eyewitness said, according to PTI.
Questions about build quality
The collapsed structure is a leased property of the Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port Authority (SMPA), officials said.
According to a fire department official, the roof of the under-construction warehouse collapsed during pouring work. The official also claimed that substandard materials may have been used.
Municipal officials and engineers on site pointed to possible flaws in the design and construction.
“It seems that the iron girders were not strong enough to bear the weight of the overhead concrete. Also, when I stand here, I cannot see any supports required to support the reinforced concrete formwork (RCC). We will have to check whether the design of the structure has been approved by the civic body and, if so, whether the work is being carried out as per the requirements of the approved design,” a structural engineer at the site said, according to PTI.
Adhikari said preliminary findings indicate problems associated with the approved construction plan.
“The project plan was approved on January 17, 2026. The land owner is SMPA, and it has a lease on the land in the name of Shambhunath Behera and its partners. According to preliminary information, a wrong plan was approved initially,” he said.
Some local residents claimed that illegal construction activities had been taking place in the area for some time.
Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times Newsdesk. From politics and politics to economics and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we’ve got you covered.Read more
