Kolkata: Death Toll 11, 5 Held in Warehouse Collapse; PM, CM Announce Ex-Gratia

Kolkata: The death toll rose to 11 from five while many others still remain trapped amid rescue operations at the site of under-construction warehouse collapse in Taratala in south western parts of the city. Five people, including the warehouse owner Shambhunath Behera of M/S Behera Brothers, were arrested by the police following the incident on Wednesday.

On Thursday, additional commissioner (crime) of the Kolkata Police, Kunal Agarwal, told the media, “So far 11 people have died. Rescue operations are still underway for others.” He also informed that a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed for a probe. The detective department of the city police is also investigating the incident with the SIT.

Earlier in the day, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari informed the Assembly during the budget session about the arrest of five persons: Shambhunath, the lessee of the land, Gulzar Hossain, a supervisor, Kamal Samanta, iron structure fabricator, Dibakar Bhandari, a labour supplier cum private contractor and Abdul Hamid, a broker for the sanction plan for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

The CM underlined that police already launched a hunt for another accused, Asgar, for whom Gulzar worked, asserting that he would not be spared even if he remains trapped in the debris. Mr Adhikari also announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakhs for the victims' families and Rs 1 lakh for the injured.

In the morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of the Centre. He stated on X-handle, “The mishap in Kolkata yesterday is saddening. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each will be given from PMNRF to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the mishap. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000. The state government is working round the clock to ensure that those affected receive all possible assistance.”

Thanking the Indian Army and National Disaster Response Force personnel for sharing the rescue operations with the state government’s agencies, Mr Adhikari said that among the 20 injured, the condition of 15 was ‘stable’, four others ‘serious’ while one ‘critical’. He added that five bodies were handed over to the victims’ kin with “four under process.”

The CM then attacked the TMC accusing them of turning the ‘City of Joy’ into a 'City of Death’ through corruption and illegal constructions. He called the incident the “outcome of their sins” and showed documents of approval bearing the signature of former Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim of the TMC.