Kolkata warehouse roof collapse toll rises to 15 (Img-X)
Kolkata: The death toll in the Taratala under-construction warehouse roof collapse has risen to 15, prompting the West Bengal government to blacklist the construction company Ayan Traders and the architect associated with the project.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Friday that both the company and the architect failed to ensure proper monitoring of the construction work. He said they would no longer be allowed to take up any private or government construction projects in the state.
“There was lack of monitoring on the part of the construction company Ayan Traders. The architect of the structure cannot also shy away from his responsibilities,” Adhikari told reporters.
According to preliminary findings of the Special Investigation Team of Kolkata Police, the collapse may have been caused by poor-quality construction material and a flawed casting pattern. Police are also facing difficulty in determining how many workers were present at the site when the roof came down, as no attendance register was maintained by the managers.
The land was reportedly taken on a 30-year lease from Kolkata Port Trust authorities by Sambhunath Behra for the construction of a three-storey warehouse. The construction work was later handed over to Ayan Traders, which had been involved in several projects in the port area.
Adhikari said it was the responsibility of both the construction firm and the architect to ensure that the work followed standard safety practices and used quality materials.
“This is the beginning. No one responsible for this mishap will be spared,” the Chief Minister said.
He also appealed to people who may have been victims of fraud in building-plan approvals to approach their local police station, assuring that action would be taken on such complaints.
Rescue and search operations have continued at the site, while police are probing possible negligence, approval irregularities and construction safety violations.
