Kolkata: The toll in the Taratala warehouse collapse in south Kolkata rose to 15 Friday as teams of multiple agencies, including Army personnel, retrieved two more bodies, and two others succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment, an official said.
The rescue teams continued intensive search operations through the rubble this morning, two days after the warehouse roof caved in, he said.
Two bodies were recovered late Thursday night, though their identities are yet to be established, he said.
On Friday morning, two workers, Mannu Kumar and Sahil Sardar, succumbed to their injuries at the state-run SSKM Hospital, taking the toll to 15, the official said.
“Nineteen-year-old Mannu Kumar, a native of Munger district in Bihar, had been rescued from the debris June 24 and had undergone surgery Thursday night. Despite sustained medical efforts, he died in the early hours of Friday,” the official said.
His brother Ghi Kumar had died in the accident, while their father was undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the warehouse collapse, he said.
According to him, 18 injured are currently admitted to SSKM Hospital.
Several others are still believed to be trapped, another official said.
“Our immediate priority is to rescue every possible survivor and ensure the best medical care for the injured. Teams are working without interruption despite the extremely challenging conditions inside the collapsed structure,” he said.
The rescue operation would continue until every section of the debris had been thoroughly searched.
“The rescue team personnel are proceeding with utmost caution because the damaged structure remains unstable. We are coordinating with all agencies,” the official said.
Meanwhile, personnel from multiple agencies, including Kolkata Police, the army, and the state disaster management group, have been working round the clock since Wednesday, cutting through iron beams and clearing massive concrete slabs in a war-footing operation.
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.
The Indian Railways Friday joined the rescue operation after the National Disaster Response Force sought its assistance in cutting and removing twisted steel structures to facilitate the search for those feared trapped under the debris, another official said.
Railway personnel equipped with oxy-cutting machines began work after inspecting the site Thursday.
The accident occurred Wednesday afternoon after the roof of the warehouse on the Transport Depot Road in Taratala caved in, trapping many workers inside.