A tragedy unfolded in Kolkata as an under-construction five-storey building collapsed in the Garden Reach area, claiming the lives of at least four individuals. The incident occurred around midnight on Monday.
Rescue efforts have been underway since the early hours this morning, with more than ten people rescued from the debris so far.
However, the search continues as authorities race against time to locate any remaining survivors trapped beneath the rubble. The congested area is in the Kolkata Municipal Corporationās civic ward No 134, which has been part of the Kolkata Port assembly constituency held by the city mayor and urban development minister Firhad Hakim since 2011.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal visited the spot and took stock of the rescue operations. According to locals who were the first responders, concrete chunks fell from the building before it collapsed.
They claimed that the under-construction building was unauthorized due to Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) regulations prohibiting the construction of five-storey buildings on narrow lanes. They asserted that the lane leading to the site was three feet wide.
The slum residents mentioned that the construction started approximately two years ago. They highlighted the prevalence of several comparable buildings in the vicinity, with the majority of residents being from the Muslim community.
As soon as the building collapsed, a loud sound and a thick cloud of dust engulfed the area. They said the debris fell on nearby shanties in the densely populated area. Although no one lived in the under-construction building, it collapsed on the adjacent shanties.
“We fear many individuals might still be trapped under the rubble,” a resident said.
Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, expressing deep concern over the incident, announced compensation of Rs 5 lakhs to the victims’ families and Rs 1 lakh for each injured individual. He also vowed to ensure the arrest of the building’s promoter and hold them accountable for the catastrophic event.
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also visited the building collapse site this morning. With a bandaged forehead, she emphasized the need for enhanced vigilance during construction projects and condemned the building’s unauthorized construction. She assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted and promised stringent action against those responsible for the tragedy.
Additionally, the state government pledged assistance to the affected families and residents whose houses were damaged in the collapse. Amidst the rescue operations, concerns have been raised regarding the presence of illegal constructions in the area, with allegations of negligence on the part of local authorities.
Indranil Khan, state president of the BJP Yuva Morcha, denounced the illegal construction practices and criticized the Kolkata Police and Municipal Corporation for their alleged complicity.
With Lok Sabha elections around the corner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targeted the Trinamool Congress government. Opposition leaderSuvendu Adhikari said in a post on X that this area falls
under the so-called ‘citadel’ of the Honāble Mayor of Kolkata and Municipal Affairs Minister. He called upon state authorities to mobilize the West Bengal State Disaster Management Team for swift rescue and relief efforts to mitigate further casualties.
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