Kolkata warehouse collapse death toll rises to 16 as rescue enters 4th day

The death toll in the Kolkata warehouse collapse rose to 16 on Saturday after an injured worker died in hospital, as rescue operations entered the fourth day with teams continuing to search the debris for any remaining survivors, officials said.

Rescue personnel from multiple agencies are using cameras placed beneath the rubble to detect signs of life, while mobile phone tower data is being analysed to locate individuals whose phones remain active under the collapsed structure.

"Our first priority is to complete the search and rescue operation. Teams are carefully checking every part of the collapsed structure. Massive debris clearance will start only after we are fully satisfied that no one is trapped inside," an official said.

He said large-scale debris removal would begin only after rescuers were certain that no survivors or bodies remained beneath the rubble.

A senior state government official said Khalek Sardar, a resident of Basanti who had been undergoing treatment in hospital, succumbed to his injuries, taking the death toll to 16. Seventeen other injured persons continue to receive treatment.

The official said the rescue operation was being carried out with utmost caution to ensure the safety of personnel and prevent any victim from being overlooked.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was joined by the Indian Railways on Friday after seeking assistance to cut and remove twisted steel structures that were obstructing search operations.

The warehouse, which was under construction, collapsed on Wednesday afternoon. The body of the principal contractor, one of the five people named in the FIR registered in connection with the incident, has been recovered from the site.

Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the cause of the collapse.