Kolkata warehouse collapse toll rises to 10; Army radar aids search for survivors

The death toll in the collapse of an under-construction warehouse in Kolkata's Taratala area rose to 10 on Thursday as rescue teams, assisted by the Army's ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system, continued searching the debris for survivors nearly 21 hours after the incident.

Five more people were rescued from the rubble on Thursday morning, taking the total number of people pulled out to 30, according to officials involved in the rescue operation.

Those killed have been identified as Krishna Chowdhury (30), Rohit Chowdhury (40), Rahul Chowdhury (17), Chandrama Chowdhury (60), Pappu Rajak (40), Azgar Hossain (55), Sahil Sardar (17), Ghee Kumar (17), while two victims are yet to be identified.

Hospital sources said one of the injured succumbed to injuries on Thursday morning, taking the death toll to 10.

Authorities said efforts were underway to confirm the identities of all the victims.

Rescue operations continued through the night under the supervision of senior state government and civic officials, including Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Commissioner Smita Pandey.

A senior state government official said all available resources had been deployed to trace people who might still be trapped beneath the debris.

"The rescue operation is being carried out on a war footing. Advanced equipment, including the Army's ground-penetrating radar, cameras and other specialised devices, is being used to locate possible survivors. Our priority remains saving lives and ensuring immediate medical assistance to the injured," the official said.

The Army's GPR system is being used to detect movement and pulse signals beneath the collapsed structure, enabling rescue teams to focus excavation efforts on specific locations.

Rescuers are also using cameras to inspect voids beneath the rubble, while mobile phone tower data is being analysed to trace the locations of active mobile phones that may indicate trapped persons.

Nineteen rescued persons are undergoing treatment at the Trauma Centre of SSKM Hospital.

Police have arrested five people in connection with the incident, including warehouse owner Shambhunath Behera, structural engineer Kamal Samanta, Ayan Traders supervisor Gulzar Hussain, labour supplier Dibakar Bhandari and Abdul Hamid.

Kolkata Police has registered a suo motu case under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other relevant provisions.

"We have initiated a criminal investigation into the collapse. At least five persons have been arrested so far, and further inquiries are underway to identify others who may have been responsible. We are examining all aspects, including structural safety compliance and operational procedures at the warehouse," a senior police officer said.

Investigators are probing whether violations of construction and safety norms contributed to the collapse of the warehouse on Transport Depot Road in Taratala.