Five people have died and several others are feared trapped after a three-storey under-construction warehouse in West Kolkata collapsed on Wednesday afternoon. Rescue operations are still underway with state and central agencies, including the army's eastern command, working together to rescue those trapped.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the disaster site and said that about 18 people remain trapped under the rubble. So far, 21 people have been rescued, with three of them perishing in the incident. The others have been admitted to SSKM Hospital for medical attention.
The collapsed warehouse is a lease-hold property under the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in the city. Eyewitnesses reported hearing trapped victims cry for help from beneath the debris. Construction activities were taking place on the ground floor while the RCC structure for the first and second floors had been completed.
Personnel from the Kolkata Police, Disaster Management Group, civil defence, and fire and emergency services teams are carrying out rescue operations at the site. Army officials are also aiding rescue efforts, with cranes and heavy equipment lifting machinery deployed to remove the collapsed iron beams.
