Taratala warehouse collapse: Death toll climbs to 8, five arrested as SIT launches probe

The incident occurred on Wednesday when several workers were engaged in construction work at the site and the rooftop suddenly caved in, trapping many under the debris.

 Massive rescue operation launched

Local residents initially rushed to the spot to assist those trapped before police, fire services personnel and Army teams joined the rescue efforts.

The operation continued throughout the night as rescuers worked to recover bodies and search for survivors beneath the rubble.

According to reports, 21 people had been rescued till the last update. Three more bodies were recovered during the early hours of Thursday.

Senior officials monitor situation

Several state ministers, along with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, visited the site and monitored the rescue operation.

Adhikari alleged irregularities in the sanctioned construction plan and warned of stringent action against those found responsible for the tragedy.

Five arrested in connection with collapse

Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Those arrested are:

• Gulzar Hussain, supervisor of Ayan Traders
• Kamal Samanta, iron structure fabricator
• Sambhunath Behera, lessee of the land
• Dibakar Bhandari, labour supplier and Trimex contractor
• Abdul Hamid, broker involved in obtaining sanction plans from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC)

SIT constituted to probe incident

The West Bengal government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the collapse.

The SIT is headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Joysurja Mukherjee and will examine the circumstances leading to the accident, including alleged violations in the construction approval process.

Accident raises questions over construction safety standards

The collapse has triggered questions over construction safety standards and compliance with sanctioned building plans under the Trinamool Congress regime which was voted out of power last month.

Authorities are expected to scrutinise the project's approvals, execution and oversight as part of the ongoing investigation.

PM Modi announces ex-gratia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced ex-gratia payments of Rs. 2 lakh to next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

Warehouse was being built on port-leased land

Officials said the collapsed structure was a private warehouse being constructed on land leased by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority (SMPA). The project was intended to house a multi-storeyed warehouse and cold storage facility.

The port authority said senior officials had reached the site immediately after the accident and were coordinating with rescue agencies.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government's Disaster Management Department has opened a control room and issued helpline numbers for families seeking information about those affected by the tragedy.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse, while rescue operations continue amid hopes of locating more survivors.

Warehouse had been under construction for 18 months

According to local sources, construction work on the warehouse had been ongoing for approximately one and a half years.

The multi-storey roof structure collapsed suddenly around midday while labourers were working on-site.

Sources said a layer of concrete had been placed over an iron framework.

Local residents claimed the structure had been shaking since the morning and that some workers had gone to inspect it shortly before the accident.

The roof reportedly collapsed moments later, trapping workers beneath the debris.

Preliminary information indicates that the land belongs to the port authorities and was leased for 30 years to a tea company, which had been overseeing construction of the warehouse for the past 18 months.

Reports also suggest that the project's contractor may be among those trapped inside the structure.

All constructions halted until July 31

After inspecting the scene at Taratala and reviewing rescue efforts, CM Suvendu Adhikari announced that all building plans approved during the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime will undergo an audit.

He also stated that all construction work will remain suspended until July 31.

"Engineers of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have made a preliminary assessment indicating that the plan of the warehouse building that collapsed in Taratala was defective," Adhikari told the media.

(Photos: Avishek Mitra/IBNS)