Death toll rises to 7 in Taratala warehouse collapse; 5 arrested, SIT formed

The death toll from the catastrophic warehouse collapse in Kolkata's Taratala area rose to seven on Thursday morning after National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel recovered two more bodies from underneath the sprawling debris. The multi-story under-construction structure had violently crashed down on Wednesday afternoon, instantly trapping several laborers working inside. Heavy machinery and specialized concrete-cutting tools are being utilized by the disaster teams, who have been working non-stop in an overnight rescue operation to clear the massive pile of shattered iron beams and cement blocks.

Expressing deep anguish over the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an immediate financial ex-gratia relief package from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). The central government will provide Rs. 2 lakh each to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the mishap, while the injured individuals will receive Rs. 50,000. In an official statement, the Prime Minister described the incident as deeply saddening and assured that the state administration is working round the clock to ensure all affected families receive extensive medical and rehabilitation assistance.

On the law enforcement front, the Kolkata Police have initiated aggressive legal action, placing five key individuals under formal arrest for extreme criminal negligence. The arrested personnel include Gulzar Hussain, the supervisor of Ayan Traders; Kamal Samanto, the primary iron structure fabricator; Sambhunath Behera, the official lessee of the land; Dibakar Bhandari, the labour supplier and Trimex contractor; and Abdul Hamid, who allegedly acted as an illegal broker to secure the structural sanction plan from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

To ensure a meticulous and transparent probe into the structural failures and procedural illegalities, a high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formally constituted. According to an official order issued by the Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), Kunal Aggarwal, the dedicated investigative unit will dissect the compromised building plans and pinpoint administrative lapses that led to the collapse. Legal experts note that the involvement of senior developers and municipal brokers indicates that the probe will heavily target deep-seated irregularities in local construction approvals.