The death toll from the collapse of an under-construction warehouse in the Taratala area of Kolkata, West Bengal, rose to 14 on Friday. Rescue operations are ongoing, more than 24 hours after the accident occurred. According to reports, people were pulled out safely from the debris on Friday morning as well, bringing the total number of rescued individuals to 19.
What details did the government provide regarding the identities of the deceased?
The state government has released a list of the deceased and the injured. The deceased have been identified as Krishna Chowdhury (30), Rohit Chowdhury (40), Rahul Chowdhury (17), Chandrama Chowdhury (60), Pappu Rajak (40), Asgar Hussain (55), Sahil Sardar (17), Ghee Kumar (17), Asgar Hussain (54), Sahil Sardar (17), Hasan Imam (44), Ganesh Kalandi (45), Naveen Singh (44), and Swapan Mandal (56).
What did the Chief Minister/Officials say?
The injured are undergoing treatment at SSKM Hospital. Senior police officials stated that efforts are underway to gather details and officially verify the identities of all the victims; information regarding everyone involved will be compiled soon. It is worth noting that a major accident occurred in the Taratala area on Wednesday afternoon.
A section of an under-construction warehouse suddenly collapsed, trapping several laborers beneath the debris. Addressing the Assembly regarding the incident, the Chief Minister stated that those responsible would not be spared at any cost.
What did officials say regarding the cause of the accident?
Following the accident, administrative officials explained that warehouse construction work was underway on Transport Depot Road near Brace Bridge in the Taratala area. On Wednesday afternoon, laborers were engaged in their daily work when a large section of the warehouse roof suddenly collapsed. As the heavy debris fell, chaos and screams erupted at the site, and several people were trapped underneath. Several workers were present at the construction site at the time of the accident. It is feared that a significant number of people may still be trapped under the debris; consequently, the rescue operation is being carried out on a war footing.