Kolkata: The toll in the Taratala warehouse collapse in south Kolkata rose to 11 Thursday as rescue teams, aided by the Army’s advanced ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system, continued intensive search operations through the rubble for over 24 hours after the incident, officials said.
Five more people were rescued from the debris in the morning, taking the total number of victims pulled out from under the rubble to 30, according to sources involved in the operation.
According to official sources, 10 people died either at the site of the incident or shortly thereafter, while another injured person succumbed to injuries during treatment Thursday, taking the toll to 11.
The deceased have been identified as Krishna Chowdhury (30) of North 24 Parganas, Rohit Choudhari (40) of Nadia, Rahul Choudhury (17) of Purba Bardhaman, Chandrama Choudhury (60) of Krishnanagar, Pappu Rajak (40) of Shyamnagar, Azgar Hossain (55) of Khidirpur in Kolkata, Sahil Sardar (17) of Basanti, Ghi Kumar (17) of Munger in Bihar, Hasan Imam (44) of Metiabruz, Nabin Singh of Asansol and Ganesh Kalindi (45), who died while undergoing treatment at SSKM Hospital.
Nineteen injured are currently undergoing treatment in the state-run hospital, officials said.
Meanwhile, heavy rain stalled the rescue operations for nearly an hour, even as personnel from police, fire services, NDRF and the Army remained deployed at the site.
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The warehouse was being built on a leasehold plot owned by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in the city.
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 said all available resources had been mobilised to trace those who may still be trapped beneath the debris.
“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 Army’s GPR system is being used to detect signs of life 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.
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.
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.
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 was the lessee of 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.
