Taratala warehouse collapse: Death toll rises to 10 as search operations continue

By Ajay Haldar

Kolkata, Jun 25: Even as frantic search operations continued on Thursday in the Taratala warehouse collapse in south Kolkata, the death toll in the tragedy rose to 10 after one of the victims succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

On Thursday, nearly 21 hours after the incident, rescue teams continued to search for possible survivors, aided by the Indian Army's advanced ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system.

According to officials, five more people were rescued from the debris on Thursday morning, taking the total number of victims pulled out from under the rubble to 30.

Those killed in the tragedy have been identified as Krishna Chowdhury (30), Rohit Chowdhury (40), Rahul Chowdhury (17), Chandrama Chowdhury (60), Pappu Rajak (40), Azgar Hossain (55), Sahil Sardar (17), Ghee Kumar (17). Two more persons who have been killed are yet to be identified.

Nineteen rescued persons are undergoing treatment at the Trauma Centre of SSKM Hospital.

Rescue efforts continued through the night under the supervision of senior state government and civic officials, including Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Commissioner Smita Pandey.

A senior state government official told the media that all available resources had been mobilised to trace those who may still be trapped beneath the debris.

Also read: https://www.theslate.net/post/the-lucknow-fire-and-democracy-s-forgotten-promise-of-dignity

"The rescue operation is being carried out on a war footing. Advanced equipment, including the Army's ground-penetrating radar, cameras and other specialised devices, is being used to locate possible survivors. Our priority remains saving lives and ensuring immediate medical assistance to the injured," the official said.

The Indian Army has also joined the search operations, and is using it's GPR system to detect survivors beneath the collapsed structure. The equipment can detect movement and pulse signals beneath layers of debris, helping rescuers focus their excavation efforts on specific locations.

The rescue teams have also deployed cameras beneath the rubble to check for trapped persons, while mobile phone tower data is being used to trace the location of individuals whose phones remain active under the debris.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced financial assistance for victims. “The mishap in Kolkata yesterday is saddening. An ex-gratia of ₹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 ₹50,000. The state government is working round the clock to ensure that those affected receive all possible assistance.” Modi said in a post on X.

Five persons arrested

At least five persons have been arrested in connection with the incident, including warehouse owner Shambhunath Behera, structural engineer Kamal Samanta, Gulzar Hussain, supervisor of Ayan Traders, labour supplier Dibakar Bhandari and Abdul Hamid.

The Kolkata Police has registered a suo motu case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other relevant charges against the accused.

"We have initiated a criminal investigation into the collapse. At least five persons have been arrested so far, and further inquiries are underway to identify others who may have been responsible. We are examining all aspects, including structural safety compliance and operational procedures at the warehouse," a senior police officer said.

Behera Brothers had leased the collapsed warehouse on Transport Depot Road in Taratala. Investigators are probing the circumstances leading to the collapse and whether any violations of safety norms contributed to the tragedy.