A major construction tragedy took place Wednesday morning in Kolkata’s Taratala area when the roof of an under-construction warehouse collapsed and killed three workers and trapped several others under the rubble.
The incident took place when workers were working in a three-storey building at the time. The roof suddenly collapsed and a large part of the building collapsed and buried workers under concrete, metal and mud, officials said.
21 Workers Rescued, Search Still Underway
People rushed to the site immediately after the collapse and emergency services arrived before emergency services reached the ground. Police, fire department, disaster management teams and other rescue teams in the region are working in a continuous search for survivors of the disaster as well as other rescue agencies are working with those trapped under the rubble.
So far 21 people were rescued and taken to local hospitals. Three of the victims were declared dead after they were pulled out of the debris and taken to hospitals. They believe between 12 and 18 workers are still believed to be trapped under the collapsed structure, but there is no exact number of workers trapped.
"We are following cries for help coming from beneath the debris and reassuring those trapped that help is reaching them," a member of the Kolkata Police disaster management team said.
Massive Rescue Effort in Progress
The West Bengal Fire Services Department said they received the first distress call at 12:20 pm and immediately dispatched multiple rescue teams to the scene. Images from the site showed rescuers carrying injured workers on stretchers covered in mud and dust as heavy equipment was brought in to clear the wreckage.
Rescue efforts are moving slowly because debris is shifting and if the rest of the population is trapped underneath, they are afraid that more debris could put them in danger.
#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: On the under-construction godown shed collapse in Kolkata's Taratala, CM Suvendu Adhikari says, “NDRF, Army, SDRF, Police, Fire Department are all together working here. 21 people have been rescued. Three people have lost their lives. SSKM Hospital… pic.twitter.com/knqvgRCgsi
— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2026
Questions Raised Over Construction Safety
The site's construction standards were also at a very high risk, as well. There are some preliminary indications that tin sheets could have been used under parts of the cement roofing structure and questions about whether proper construction was carried out.
West Bengal Minister Indranil Khan said authorities would thoroughly investigate the cause of the collapse after rescue operations had been completed. "We will definitely examine what caused the accident and whether there were any irregularities. But right now our priority is saving as many lives as possible," he said.
Focus Remains on Finding Survivors
Rescue workers are combing through the rubble and looking for survivors as darkness settles in. Emergency workers are using special equipment and listening to voices coming from underneath the collapsed structure.
Families on the other side of the site and rescue workers racing against time are all focused on getting people who may still be trapped out.
The tragedy has once again brought home the safety and construction oversight problems in a country dominated by construction and construction workers as police investigate what caused the deadly collapse in one of the city’s busiest industrial zones.
