Kolkata warehouse roof collapse: Death toll rises to 11, five arrested; SIT formed

KOLKATA: The death toll in the roof collapse incident at an under-construction warehouse on P2 Transport Depot Road in Kolkata’s Taratala reached eleven on Thursday. 

According to government officials, eleven workers have died, while 19 others are undergoing treatment at SSKM Hospital. The condition of the two is said to be critical, as per the hospital sources.

The rescue operation continues at the spot to recover a few others who are still trapped under the debris.

So far, five people have been arrested in the incident. They are Gulzar Hossain (Supervisor of Ayan Traders), Kamal Samanta (iron structure manufacturer), Shambhunath Behera (who took the land lease), Dibarak Bhandari (labour supplier and Trimex contractor) and Abdul Hamid (intermediary for approval of construction plans at Kolkata Municipal Corporation).

The investigation team is probing whether anyone else was involved in the incident. If necessary, they will also be arrested.

The police have lodged a suo motu FIR under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide and attempt to commit culpable homicide.

Kolkata Police have also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. The SIT will be headed by the deputy commissioner of police (Detective Department) and includes Joysurja Mukherjee, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Inspector Debasis Dutta, Officer-in-Charge of the Homicide Squad, Inspector Hirak Dalapati, who has been appointed the new investigating officer in the case, Inspector Sarfaraz Ahmed of the Anti-Rowdy Squad and Sub-Inspectors Manas Bhattacharya and Kushal Mondal of Taratala Police Station. (IANS)

Also Read: 3 Killed, Several Trapped After Under-Construction Warehouse Roof Collapses in Kolkata