Kolkata godown collapse: Supervisor, 2 suppliers arrested; 5 dead

Three people, including a supervisor and two labour suppliers, were arrested after an under-construction godown collapsed in Kolkata's Taratala. The incident claimed five lives and injured 20 others. CM Suvendu Adhikari has visited the injured.

Three persons, including a building supervisor and two labour suppliers, have been arrested in connection with the collapse of an under-construction godown shed in Kolkata's Taratala area that claimed five lives and injured 20 others, officials said on Wednesday.

According to West Bengal CMO, the arrested individuals have been identified as Saiyad Md Gulzar, the building supervisor, and labour suppliers Md Ataul and Subhash Chowdhury.

The arrests came after the collapse of an under-construction private godown near Brace Bridge in Taratala, which triggered a large-scale rescue operation involving multiple agencies.

Official Toll and CM's Response

Earlier on Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the death toll in the incident had risen to five, while 20 people sustained injuries. Of the injured, two are currently undergoing treatment in the Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICCU), while the remaining 18 are reported to be out of danger.

"Death toll stands at five. A total of 20 people are injured, of whom two are in ICCU, and 18 are out of danger," the Chief Minister told reporters after visiting the injured at SSKM Hospital.

Multi-Agency Rescue and Investigation

The incident occurred at around 12:07 pm on Tuesday. Rescue operations began shortly thereafter and were carried out jointly by the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Kolkata Police, Fire Department, Civil Defence, and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

Adhikari had earlier described the collapse as "very unfortunate" and said several workers were feared trapped under the debris when the structure gave way.

The Chief Minister also indicated that preliminary findings pointed to possible irregularities in the approved construction plan. "The project plan was approved on January 17, 2026. The owner of the land is SMPA, and it has a lease in the name of Shambhunath Behera and partners. As per initial information, a wrong plan was initially sanctioned," he had said.

In a post on X, Adhikari expressed grief over the loss of lives and assured support to the affected families. The deceased have been identified as Rohit Chowdhury (40), Krishna Chowdhury (30), and an unidentified male. The identities of two other victims are yet to be officially confirmed.

Further investigation into the incident is underway. (ANI)

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