3 dead, 18 hospitalised after under-construction warehouse shed collapses in Kolkata's Taratala: CM

"So far, 21 people have been pulled out of the collapsed structure, out of which 18 are injured, and three people have lost their lives," Adhikari said.

"An estimated 12 to 18 people remained trapped beneath the debris, and rescue teams have made contact with them," he added.

The Chief Minister said that the Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, Kolkata Police and KMC were jointly conducting the rescue operations to ensure every trapped worker is brought to safety as quickly as possible.

"I pray for the quick recovery of those who got injured," Adhikari said. "I have instructed the UDMA Department to closely coordinate the entire operation."

According to reports, two of the three deceased have been identified as Rohit Chowdhari (40) and Krishna Chowdhury (30), while the identity of the third male victim is still unknown.

Eight of the injured workers have also been identified — Durbasha Mallan (56), Mani Chand Kumar (22), Sahid Kumar (26), Rajesh Ruidas (25), Biswa Prakash (28), Bodan Munda (28), Rajendra Rao (55) and Ram Prasad Choudhury (21).

Rescue ops continue

Rescue teams are continuing their intensive operation at the site of the warehouse collapse in Kolkata's Taratala area, with several workers still believed to be trapped beneath the wreckage of the under-construction structure.

The Indian Army has joined the rescue effort, working alongside personnel from the fire brigade, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to locate and evacuate those still trapped.

Heavy cranes deployed

Authorities have brought multiple cranes to the site to accelerate the rescue operation.

Among them is a hydraulic crane capable of lifting up to 50 tonnes.

Rescue teams are using the crane to stabilise sections of the collapsed structure and prevent any further cave-ins while workers search for survivors.

Photo: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Initial assessments suggest that the warehouse covered nearly 20,000 square feet.

Since the main structure reportedly had no internal walls or partitions, the entire roof section collapsed simultaneously.

Officials believe several iron beams bent under excessive load, contributing to the scale of the collapse.

Multiple rescue strategies attempted

Rescuers initially attempted to enter the collapsed structure by digging through the rear section of the debris.

However, those efforts did not succeed.

Teams later used hydraulic ladders to access the upper sections and search for trapped workers.

Photo: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Thick layers of concrete and twisted iron beams complicated the operation and slowed progress.

Rescue personnel subsequently created openings in parts of the structure to improve air circulation inside the debris.

The openings also helped teams identify possible locations of trapped workers.

Injured workers shifted to hospital

As of now, 18 people are undergoing treatment at SSKM hospital, while some of them are in critical condition.

Police have deployed sniffer dogs to assist in locating additional survivors.

Photo: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Several families continue to search for missing relatives who were working at the site.

Meanwhile, sources in the SSKM hospital said that 22 people had been pulled out of the debris till 5:530 pm, out of which four died, and 18 are undergoing treatments.

Preparations made for overnight rescue operation

Rescue officials have moved large generators to the site in anticipation of a prolonged operation extending into the night.

Temporary power arrangements are being established to ensure uninterrupted rescue efforts after dark.

Authorities are also setting up a temporary medical camp near the site to provide immediate treatment and assessment for rescued workers before they are transferred to hospitals.

Senior officials, ministers monitoring situation

Several senior government officials and ministers visited the collapse site as rescue operations continued.

Among those present were state ministers Agnimitra Paul and Indranil Khan.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation Commissioner Smita Pandey, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda, deputy commissioners of police and other senior officials also remained at the scene.

Multiple ambulances have been stationed nearby to ensure that injured workers can be transported to the hospital without delay.

Warehouse had been under construction for 18 months

According to local sources, construction work on the warehouse had been ongoing for approximately one and a half years.

The multi-storey roof structure collapsed suddenly around midday while labourers were working on-site.

Photo: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Sources said a layer of concrete had been placed over an iron framework.

Local residents claimed the structure had been shaking since the morning and that some workers had gone to inspect it shortly before the accident.

The roof reportedly collapsed moments later, trapping workers beneath the debris.

Preliminary information indicates that the land belongs to the port authorities and was leased for 30 years to a tea company, which had been overseeing construction of the warehouse for the past 18 months.

Reports also suggest that the project's contractor may be among those trapped inside the structure.

All constructions halted until July 31

After inspecting the scene at Taratala and reviewing rescue efforts, CM Suvendu Adhikari announced that all building plans approved during the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime will undergo an audit.

He also stated that all construction work will remain suspended until July 31.

"Engineers of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have made a preliminary assessment indicating that the plan of the warehouse building that collapsed in Taratala was defective," Adhikari told the media at Nabanna.

"So, construction plans of all ongoing projects in Kolkata will be examined again, and if they get clearance, construction works will resume on and after August 1," the CM added.