Kolkata Warehouse Collapse Kills 11, Exposes Alleged Lapses in Building Approval System

The death toll in the collapse of an under-construction warehouse in Kolkata's Taratala area rose to 11 on Thursday , as rescue teams continued searching the debris more than 24 hours after the accident. Around 20 workers were injured , while nearly 30 people have been rescued from the site.

The warehouse, located on Transport Depot Road near Brace Bridge , collapsed on Wednesday while construction work was underway. Several labourers were inside the structure when its roof and supporting framework gave way, trapping workers under tonnes of concrete and steel.

A large-scale rescue operation involving the Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, Fire Services, Kolkata Police and Civil Defence teams has been underway since the incident. Authorities deployed heavy machinery, sniffer dogs and an Army ground-penetrating radar system to detect survivors beneath the rubble.

The tragedy has sparked a political storm, with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari alleging that the warehouse was built using a faulty structural plan approved during the previous Trinamool Congress administration. According to the Chief Minister, preliminary findings point to design flaws in the building's load-bearing structure. He further claimed that the sanctioned plan carried the signature of former Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim , raising questions about the approval process.

Adhikari accused the previous administration of corruption and negligence in granting construction clearances and announced a comprehensive review of commercial projects approved under its tenure. The state government has also suspended work on under-construction commercial projects in Kolkata until July 31 pending safety audits.

Investigators have registered a criminal case and arrested five people , including individuals linked to the ownership, engineering and supervision of the project. Authorities are examining whether safety violations, poor construction practices or irregular approvals contributed to the collapse.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex gratia payment of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured . The state government separately announced ₹10 lakh compensation for each deceased worker's family and ₹1 lakh for the injured .

President Droupadi Murmu also conveyed her condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.