Three people were killed and 21 others rescued after a three-storey under-construction warehouse collapsed in the Taratala area of west Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon, while rescue teams continued to search for an estimated 12 to 18 people feared trapped under the debris.
The warehouse, located on Transport Depot Road near Brace Bridge, was being built on a leasehold property owned by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port.
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West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who visited the site, said personnel from the NDRF, Army, SDRF, police and fire services were jointly carrying out rescue operations.
"NDRF, Army, SDRF, Police, Fire Department are all together working here. 21 people have been rescued. Three people have lost their lives. SSKM Hospital is working. Around 12-18 people are trapped inside. They have come in contact with the Indian Army..." he said.
Earlier, police said at least 13 people had initially been pulled out from the rubble. Of the injured, 10 were admitted to the Trauma Care Centre of the state-run SSKM Hospital, where four were reported to be in critical condition.
"The roof of the warehouse located on the Transport Depot Road near Brace Bridge in the Taratala area collapsed around noon. Our officers have reached the spot.
"Some people were working at the site at the time of the incident. We fear that quite a few people may still be trapped under the debris," a Kolkata Police officer said.
Eyewitnesses said massive iron beams and concrete slabs came crashing down while construction work was underway, with trapped workers heard crying out for help from beneath the rubble.
"Construction activities were taking place on the ground floor while the RCC structure for the first and second floors had been completed. Suddenly, the entire structure came crashing down," an eyewitness said.
A fire department official said the roof of the under-construction warehouse collapsed during casting work and alleged that substandard materials were being used in the project.
Rescue operations were carried out on a war footing by teams from the Kolkata Police, Disaster Management Group, civil defence, fire and emergency services, the NDRF and the Army.
Cranes and heavy lifting equipment were deployed to clear twisted iron beams, while gas cutters were used to slice through metal and concrete. Rescue personnel also undertook vertical drilling in an effort to reach those trapped beneath the debris.
Sniffer dogs and drones were deployed by the NDRF to detect signs of life.
"We are following the cries for help coming from under the debris. At the same time, we are assuring the trapped people that they will be rescued soon," a member of the Kolkata Police disaster management group said.
The state government activated Disaster Management Group control rooms and issued helpline numbers -- 1070, 8697981070 and 033-22143526/22535185.
Some local residents alleged that illegal construction activities had been taking place in the area for some time.
"We will definitely look into the causes of the accident and whether there were any irregularities. But right now, the priority is to rescue as many victims as possible," Minister Indranil Khan said.
Officials of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) present at the site said there was prima facie evidence of design and construction flaws that may have contributed to the collapse.
"It seems that the iron beams weren't strong enough to hold the weight of the overhead concrete. Also, I cannot see any braces which are required to support RCC casting.
"We will have to check whether the design of the structure was approved by the civic body and, if it was, whether work was being carried out as per requirements of the approved design," a structural engineer at the site said.
Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul, Kolkata Municipal Commissioner Smita Pandey and Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand were present at the site to oversee rescue efforts.
BJP leader Rakesh Singh, who also visited the site, said he feared multiple victims may have succumbed to injuries before they could be rescued.
