Thursday, 25 June 2026
Thursday, 25 June 2026
The death toll in the collapse of an under-construction warehouse in Kolkata's Taratala area rose to 10 on Thursday, as rescue teams intensified efforts to locate survivors trapped beneath the rubble with the help of the Army's advanced ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system.
Nearly 21 hours after the structure caved in, rescue personnel continued round-the-clock operations at the site. Five more people were pulled out from the debris on Thursday morning, taking the total number of people rescued from under the collapsed structure to 30, sources involved in the operation said.
According to state government officials, those killed in the tragedy have been identified as Krishna Chowdhury (30), Rohit Chowdhury (40), Rahul Chowdhury (17), Chandrama Chowdhury (60), Pappu Rajak (40), Azgar Hossain (55), Sahil Sardar (17), Ghee Kumar (17), while two other victims are yet to be identified.
Sources at SSKM Hospital, where the injured are undergoing treatment, said one more person succumbed to injuries on Thursday morning, pushing the death toll to 10. Authorities said efforts were underway to officially verify and confirm details of all victims.
Rescue operations continued overnight under the supervision of senior state government and civic officials, including Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Commissioner Smita Pandey.
A senior state government official said all available resources had been pressed into service to trace those who may still be trapped beneath the debris.
"The rescue operation is being carried out on a war footing. Advanced equipment, including the Army's ground-penetrating radar, cameras and other specialised devices, is being used to locate possible survivors. Our priority remains saving lives and ensuring immediate medical assistance to the injured," the official told PTI.
The Army's GPR system is being used to detect signs of life beneath the collapsed structure. The technology can identify movement and pulse signals under layers of debris, enabling rescue teams to focus excavation efforts on specific locations.
Authorities are also using cameras inserted beneath the rubble to search for trapped individuals, while mobile phone tower data is being analysed to trace people whose phones remain active under the debris.
Official sources said 19 rescued persons are currently undergoing treatment at the Trauma Centre of SSKM Hospital.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police have arrested at least five people in connection with the collapse. Those arrested include warehouse owner Shambhunath Behera, structural engineer Kamal Samanta, Ayan Traders supervisor Gulzar Hussain, labour supplier Dibakar Bhandari and Abdul Hamid.
Police have registered a suo motu case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other relevant charges against the accused.
"We have initiated a criminal investigation into the collapse. At least five persons have been arrested so far, and further inquiries are underway to identify others who may have been responsible. We are examining all aspects, including structural safety compliance and operational procedures at the warehouse," a senior police officer said.
The collapsed warehouse on Transport Depot Road in Taratala had been leased by Behera Brothers. Investigators are examining the circumstances that led to the collapse and whether any violations of safety norms contributed to the disaster.
