Kolkata warehouse collapse: Death toll reaches 11, five arrested in ongoing probe

The death toll in the collapse of an under-construction warehouse in Kolkata's Taratala area rose to 11 on June 25, while five people have been arrested as authorities widened their investigation into one of the city's deadliest construction-related disasters in recent years.

The three-storey warehouse structure collapsed around 11.30 am on June 24, trapping dozens of workers under tonnes of concrete slabs, steel beams and corrugated metal sheets. Initial reports suggested around 40 workers were present at the site when the structure gave way.

Rescue operations involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Kolkata Police, fire services and civil defence personnel continued through the night.

On June 25 morning, five more workers were pulled out from the debris, taking the number of people rescued to 30. The Indian Army also deployed its advanced ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system to help locate anyone still trapped beneath the rubble.

Officials said the victims included construction workers who were engaged in ongoing work at the warehouse. Several of those rescued sustained injuries and were admitted to hospitals for treatment.

As the rescue operation progressed, Kolkata Police launched a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse.

Five people, including the warehouse owner and an engineer associated with the project, were arrested as part of the probe. Authorities said they are examining whether negligence, violations of safety norms or structural defects contributed to the disaster.

Investigators are also looking into compliance with construction and operational safety requirements at the site. The warehouse had reportedly been leased by a private entity, and officials are scrutinising project records, approvals and engineering specifications.

The tragedy triggered a political response as questions emerged over construction oversight and accountability. Addressing the West Bengal Assembly, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced compensation of ₹10 lakh for the families of those killed and ₹1 lakh for the injured. He also assured that those found responsible would face legal action.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those killed in the collapse and ₹50,000 for the injured.

Adhikari has blamed the tragedy on alleged irregularities in the approval process, claiming preliminary assessments pointed to flaws in the sanctioned building plan.

Addressing the Assembly, he accused the previous Trinamool Congress administration of permitting unsafe construction practices and alleged that corruption played a role in project approvals.

The TMC has rejected the allegations, while the state government has ordered an audit of under-construction commercial projects and temporarily suspended work on such projects approved under the previous regime.

The incident has renewed concerns about construction safety standards in urban infrastructure projects. While rescue personnel continued searching through the debris, officials said the focus had now expanded beyond recovery efforts to determining what caused the structure to fail and whether warning signs were overlooked before the collapse.

With the death toll having steadily risen since the collapse, investigators are expected to examine the project's design, execution and approval process in the coming days. Rescue teams remained on site on June 25, amid fears that more victims could still be trapped beneath the debris.