An under-construction shed at a godown near Brace Bridge railway station suddenly collapsed, trapping several workers beneath tonnes of debris in Kolkata’s Taratala area on Wednesday. The incident took place at around 1.30 pm at a warehouse belonging to a tea company, where construction and renovation work was reportedly underway.
According to local residents, the three-storey iron-and-cement structure had been under construction for nearly a year. Witnesses said the upper portion of the building gave way without warning, triggering a chain collapse that brought multiple levels crashing to the ground.
Heavy iron beams, concrete slabs and sections of the roof came down on workers who were reportedly present inside the structure at the time. "There was a loud crashing sound, and within seconds a huge cloud of dust covered the entire area," said a local resident who witnessed the collapse. "People immediately ran towards the site to help those trapped inside."
Initial reports suggested that between 25 and 30 workers were inside the shed when the structure collapsed. Several labourers are feared to have been trapped beneath the rubble. However, authorities have not officially confirmed any fatalities or the number of workers trapped inside at the time of writing. Several injured workers were rescued from the debris and rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. The condition of some of the injured remains unclear.
Emergency services launched a large-scale rescue operation shortly after the collapse. Personnel from the fire department, police and disaster management agencies reached the site and began efforts to locate and rescue those trapped. Rescue teams deployed gas cutters, cranes, bulldozers and other heavy equipment to remove twisted metal and concrete debris. Operations continued through the afternoon as officials worked to reach workers believed to be buried beneath the wreckage.
Police cordoned off the area around the site to prevent overcrowding and facilitate rescue efforts. Senior officers and disaster management officials were also present to oversee the operation. According to preliminary accounts, the collapse occurred while workers were engaged in construction activities, including the pouring of concrete. However, authorities have not yet determined the exact cause of the accident.
As rescue efforts continued, the West Bengal government opened dedicated control rooms at Nabanna for families seeking information about those affected by the incident. The control room numbers issued by the Disaster Management Department are:
* 1070
* 8697981070
* 033 22143526
* 033 22535185
Authorities are expected to release further details regarding casualties, injuries and the cause of the collapse after rescue operations are completed. This is a developing story, further details awaited.
