Three killed as warehouse roof collapses in Kolkata (Img-X)
Kolkata: At least three people were killed and more than 40 others are feared trapped after the roof of an under-construction warehouse collapsed in Kolkata’s Taratala area on Wednesday.
According to officials, several workers were engaged in construction work inside the three-storey warehouse when the rooftop suddenly caved in, burying many of them under the debris.
Local residents were the first to begin rescue efforts. Police, fire services and disaster management teams reached the spot soon after receiving information about the incident.
So far, six to seven people have been rescued from the rubble. Visuals from the site showed injured workers, covered in mud, being brought out on stretchers. Three of the rescued persons were later declared dead at the hospital.
The fire department said it received the first call about the collapse at around 12.20 pm.
A member of the Kolkata Police disaster management group told PTI that rescuers were trying to locate trapped workers by following cries for help from beneath the debris. Officials were also reassuring those stuck inside that efforts were underway to bring them out safely.
Meanwhile, questions are being raised over the quality of construction at the site. There are allegations that tin sheets were used beneath the cement structure of the rooftop, raising concerns about possible irregularities.
West Bengal Minister Indranil Khan said the cause of the collapse and any possible lapses would be investigated. However, he added that the immediate priority was to rescue as many trapped workers as possible.
Rescue operations were still underway at the time of reporting.
