Man dies as crumbling house collapses in Sodepur despite repeated warnings from civic authorities

A man died after a decades-old house collapsed in Sodepur’s MN Chatterjee Road area under Panihati Municipality early Saturday morning. The deceased has been identified as Debkumar Shrimani, a resident and co-owner of the building. The house was located in Ward 3 and had long been in a state of disrepair.

Local and police sources said the house was jointly occupied by three co-owners. It had reportedly been marked unsafe, and local councillor Jharna Bandopadhyay had warned the residents multiple times to either repair or vacate it. No action was taken. Around dawn, a section of the structure collapsed, and Debkumar was trapped beneath bricks and stones.

Hearing his cries, nearby residents rushed to the spot and informed Khardaha police. Rescue efforts were carried out by locals and police, and Debkumar was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Councillor Bandopadhyay said, “The house was in a dangerous condition. We warned them several times, but it was of no use. Had they listened, such a tragic outcome could have been avoided.”

Debashis Mukhopadhyay, a local resident, said they had feared such a collapse but their warnings went unheard. Debkumar’s sister-in-law, Bharati Shrimani, said, “It’s all over. I told him so many times to leave that house, but he wouldn’t listen.” Police have begun an investigation, and municipal officials said the condition of other similar structures in the area would be assessed for safety.