Officials and others gather during a rescue operation after a three-storey under-construction warehouse collapsed at Taratala area, in Kolkata, West Bengal on June 24, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The death toll in the Kolkata warehouse accident increased to nine on Thursday (June 25, 2026), Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said in the West Bengal Assembly announcing a compensation of ₹10 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.
Mr. Adhikari informed the House that out of 29 persons who were rescued from the accident site, nine were found to be dead. The Chief Minister also announced a compensation of ₹1 lakh to the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh to the kin of those who lost their lives and ₹50,000 to the injured.
The West Bengal Chief Minister also said that an FIR has been registered and five persons have been arrested. Mr. Adhikari claimed that the building design was faulty. Mr. Adhikari announced suspension of all ongoing construction projects in Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Rajarhat, Sonarpur, Baruipur and Maheshtala and said all building plans in these areas will undergo a comprehensive audit. He announced that a high-level committee has been constituted for the purpose, headed by Rajesh Pandey, IAS.
Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police arrested five people, including the structural engineer of the warehouse, the lessee of the land and labour supplier of the project in Taratala that collapsed on Wednesday (June 24, 2026).
“At about 12:05 p.m., one under-construction wear house at Transport Depot Road in Taratala collapsed and due to such effect few labourers got stuck under the debris, while in hospital five of them were declared brought dead. The rescue operation was conducted by Kolkata Police DMG, KMC personnel, Fire services personnel, civil defence and NDRF. Such an operation is still continuing,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), Kunal Agrawal, said.
“After a preliminary investigation, an FIR has been lodged under sections 105/110/3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Taratala polise station. The FIR named six people of whom structural engineer Kamal Samanta, Syed MD Gulzar Hussain, Sambhunath Behera, Dibakar Bhandari and Abdul Hamid were arrested,” he added.
A special investigation team (SIT) has also constituted to investigate the matter after it was transferred to the Detective Department of Kolkata police.
Mr. Agrawal said that the SIT will be headed by the DC of the Detective Department of Kolkata Police Commissionerate while comprising six other members. Five workers were killed and several injured as an under-construction warehouse in the Taratala area of Kolkata collapsed on Wednesday.
The accident occurred at 12.07 hrs on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) when the multi-storey warehouse being constructed by a private operator on 6,689 square metres of land leased out by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority (SMPA) came crashing down.
According to those present at the site, 50 to 60 people were at work when the accident took place. Local people said they heard several workers buried under the debris crying out for help. Attempts were made to drill a hole through the debris and reach out to the trapped workers, and oxygen and food were made available. The Indian Army joined the rescue operation, mobilising four columns from the Eastern Command.Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are working on rescue site. Some people are still believed to be trapped inside the debris.
Published – June 25, 2026 08:47 am IST