Kolkata: A five-storey building under construction collapsed in Kolkata, resulting in the loss of four lives and leaving many trapped beneath the debris.
According to reports, 14 individuals have been successfully rescued so far while efforts are still underway to locate additional survivors who might be trapped under the ruins. “An under-construction building collapsed in the Garden Reach area late on Sunday night. We have rescued a few people. The rescue operation is still going on,” a police official was quoted by NDTV as saying.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel are deployed at the site. Visuals from the scene showed ambulances stationed nearby to take the victims to the hospital.
NDRF sources said that about 20 people have been rescued with the help of police and locals so far.
Huge chunks of concrete fell from the building on nearby shanties before it collapsed, NDTV reported quoting locals who were the first responders on the scene.
Suvendu Adhikari, the West Bengal BJP president and leader of the opposition in the state legislative assembly, shared pictures from the collapse site and slammed the ruling Trinamool Congress government over the incident. “A 5-storey building (illegally constructed) has collapsed at Hazari Mollah Bagan; Garden Reach; Metiabruz, KMC Ward No. 134. This particular area falls under the so-called ‘citadel’ of Hon’ble Mayor of Kolkata and Municipal Affairs Minister,” Adhikari wrote on X.
The said area is in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) civic ward No 134, which is part of the Kolkata Port Assembly constituency held by the city mayor and urban development minister Firhad Hakim since 2011. “I have spoken to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and we will give Rs five lakh to the next of kin of each deceased person and Rs one lakh to each injured person,” Hakim was quoted by PTI as saying.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reacted to the incident and pledged support to the distressed families. “Sad to learn about the house collapse disaster of an under-construction building in the Garden Reach area of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Our Mayor, Fire Minister, Secretaries and Commissioner of Police, civic, police, fire and disaster management officers and teams (including NDRF, KMC and KP teams) have been on site throughout the night to mitigate the disaster. We shall provide compensation for the next of kin of the deceased and for the injured persons. We stand by the distressed families and rescue operations shall continue,” the TMC supremo wrote on X.
The Chief Minister further noted that the building was an illegal construction and strict action will be taken against those responsible for the incident. “This is illegal construction. I will urge the administration to take strict action against those involved in illegal construction. When this construction was going on, those involved should have been more vigilant,” she added.
