A roof collapse at an under-construction warehouse in Taratala, Kolkata, has claimed five lives and left at least 24 others injured, with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari set to deliver a detailed statement in the state Assembly on Thursday, 25 June. The incident has triggered a political storm, with allegations that the structure was built illegally in connivance with corrupt officials from the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC)-run board of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

Arrests and Key Accused

Warehouse owner Sambhunath Behra was arrested in the early hours of Thursday by the Kolkata Police. Three others, detained on Wednesday night for questioning, have also been formally arrested. They are Muhammad Gulzar, the site supervisor; and labour contractors Muhammad Atayul and Subhas Chowdhury. A total of four arrests have been made in connection with the collapse so far.

Warning Signs That Were Ignored

The workers' union of the Kolkata Port Trust — affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the trade union wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) — had flagged the risk of disaster well before the collapse. The union wrote to port trust authorities as early as 11 June, warning of unsafe construction and naming a figure identified only as Asgar, described as a notorious mafia operator in the dock area, as the alleged mastermind behind the illegal construction. Port trust authorities, however, maintained that since construction permission had been granted by the KMC, the responsibility for checking any illegality rested with the corporation.

Rescue Operations and Casualties

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were conducting rescue operations at the Taratala site on Thursday morning. The collapsed structure was removed with a hydraulic crane. A total of 29 people have been rescued from the site; of these, five have died and 24 are receiving treatment at SSKM Hospital. The conditions of two of the injured are reportedly critical. Some individuals are still feared to be trapped inside the debris. According to initial reports, four of the deceased are residents of Nadia district and one is from Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas.

Political Fallout and the CM's Statement

Chief Minister Adhikari's Assembly statement is being closely watched given the gravity of the allegations — specifically, that the warehouse was constructed illegally on Kolkata Port Trust land with the complicity of officials from the previous TMC-run KMC board. The incident has sharpened the political divide between the ruling state government and the TMC, which had administered the corporation during the period in question. This comes amid a broader pattern of questions over construction oversight in Kolkata, where illegal structures on port or public land have previously drawn scrutiny.

What Happens Next

Investigators are expected to examine the chain of permissions — or the lack thereof — that allowed construction to proceed on port trust land. The roles of the KMC, the port trust, and alleged middlemen are all under scrutiny. With two injured persons in critical condition, the death toll could rise. The NDRF and SDRF continue operations to account for anyone still feared trapped.