Kolkata Police on Thursday arrested five people, including the structural engineer of an under-construction warehouse that collapsed in the Taratala area, killing five workers.
The incident took place on Wednesday at Transport Depot Road in Taratala, where a three-story under-construction warehouse suddenly collapsed. Several laborers were trapped under the debris after the structure came down.
According to police officials, the collapse was reported around 12:05 p.m. Rescue teams rushed to the spot and launched a major operation to pull out those trapped beneath the rubble. Five workers were later declared brought dead at the hospital.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Kunal Agrawal said that the rescue operation was carried out jointly by the Kolkata Police Disaster Management Group, Kolkata Municipal Corporation personnel, fire services, civil defense teams, and the National Disaster Response Force. He added that rescue work was still underway.
An FIR has been registered in connection with the incident. The case has also been transferred to the Detective Department of Kolkata Police for further investigation.
A special investigation team has been constituted to probe the cause of the warehouse collapse and examine possible negligence in construction, safety measures, and structural approval.
The tragic incident has raised serious questions over construction safety norms and monitoring of under-construction buildings in the city. Police are expected to question those arrested to determine whether proper safety guidelines were followed at the site.
