New Delhi: At least 10 individuals were extracted from the wreckage following the late-night collapse of a building under construction, news agency PTI quoted officials as saying. Rescue efforts are in progress to locate any survivors buried beneath the debris after the five-story structure gave way in the Hazari Mollah Bagan locality of Garden Reach shortly before midnight. These efforts were confirmed by authorities on Monday.
The scene of the collapse was inspected by Vineet Goyal, the Police Commissioner of Kolkata, who assessed the ongoing rescue operations.
Late Sunday night, a building still in the construction phase toppled over in the Garden Reach zone. “Several individuals have been saved, and the rescue efforts are continuing,” stated an officer from the police force.
#WATCH | A 5-storey under-construction building collapsed in Metiabruz, South Kolkata. Further details awaited: Abhijit Pandey, Director in Charge, West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services https://t.co/NqXuL0Rdcd pic.twitter.com/A1hpy9lkS0
— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2024
Medical emergency vehicles were present at the location. Local residents, who initially responded to the incident, reported that parts of concrete began detaching from the building prior to its fall.
The collapse was accompanied by a booming noise and a dense dust cloud that shrouded the vicinity. The resulting rubble impacted the surrounding makeshift homes in the densely inhabited area, according to the locals.
A resident from the vicinity expressed concern, stating, “No one resided in the building under construction, yet its fall inflicted damage on the neighboring shanties. There’s apprehension that numerous people may still be underneath the debris.”
Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, made an appeal in a social media post: “I call upon @chief_west, Secretary @HomeBengal, @CPKolkata to promptly engage the West Bengal State Disaster Management Team for swift rescue and relief actions.”
Adhikari conveyed his alarm over potential victims, saying, “I’m getting desperate calls about possible casualties. I implore the dispatch of any available rescue teams, whether it be Fire Service personnel, the Police, or other units.”
Additionally, Adhikari disseminated images from the site of the building collapse.