Kolkata warehouse collapse: No attendance records, 11 dead, 5 arrested
Synopsis
A collapsed warehouse in Taratala, south Kolkata has killed at least 11 workers — but police still cannot say how many remain trapped because no attendance register was ever maintained at the site. With 5 arrests, a suo motu FIR, and the KMC's role under scrutiny, this disaster is as much about institutional failure as it is about structural collapse.
Key Takeaways
The roof of an under-construction warehouse in Taratala, south Kolkata collapsed on Wednesday afternoon , trapping an estimated 40 workers .
11 people have died and 19 are injured , currently being treated at SSKM Hospital , according to Additional Commissioner Kunal Agarwal .
No attendance register was maintained at the site, making it impossible to confirm how many workers remain trapped.
Police have arrested 5 individuals , including building supervisor Mohammad Gulzar , contractor Shambhunath Behera , and KMC-linked broker Abdul Hamid ; main contractor Asghar Hussain was found dead in the rubble.
The KMC 's role is under investigation; Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari has blamed the former TMC government and named former Mayor Firhad Hakim in the state Assembly.
Rescue operations by the NDRF , Indian Army , and other agencies continue, though they were disrupted by a severe thunderstorm on Thursday afternoon.
Kolkata Police on Thursday, 26 June 2025 confirmed they cannot determine the exact number of workers who were inside the under-construction warehouse in Taratala, south Kolkata at the time of its collapse, because no attendance register had been maintained at the site. With around 40 workers believed to have been trapped under the debris, the absence of records has severely complicated rescue and accountability efforts.
What Happened at Taratala
The roof of the under-construction warehouse in Taratala caved in on Wednesday afternoon, burying an unknown number of labourers beneath the rubble. Multi-agency rescue teams — comprising the Civil Defence, the Indian Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Fire Brigade, Kolkata Police, and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) — have been conducting operations on a war footing. Efforts were hampered on Thursday afternoon when a severe thunderstorm accompanied by torrential rain struck the area.
Death Toll and Injuries
Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Kunal Agarwal addressed a press conference at Lalbazar, the city police headquarters, on Thursday afternoon, confirming that 11 people had died and 19 others had sustained injuries. The injured are currently undergoing treatment at SSKM Hospital. The body of the main contractor, Asghar Hussain, was recovered from the rubble on Thursday morning — he was among the five persons named in the suo motu First Information Report (FIR) registered by police.
Arrests and the FIR
Police have arrested four of the five individuals named in the FIR, along with one additional person linked to the KMC. Those taken into custody include Mohammad Gulzar, building supervisor of Ayan Traders, whose company was involved in constructing the warehouse roof; Shambhunath Behera, owner of Behera Brothers, the firm that had been constructing the warehouse after leasing the land from Kolkata Port; Kamal Samant, an iron-frame manufacturer; and Dibakar Bhandari, a labour supplier. Abdul Hamid, who allegedly acted as a broker for KMC design approvals, has also been taken into custody.
Notably, both Gulzar and the deceased contractor Asghar reportedly had prior criminal records. Gulzar had allegedly been involved in a clash in Ekbalpur, while two cases had been registered against Asghar — one at South Port Police Station in 2013 and another related to an alleged kidnapping at Ekbalpur Police Station.
KMC Role Under Scrutiny
Lalbazar has sought information and documents from the KMC regarding the Taratala incident. Police have indicated that the role of municipal officials will come under scrutiny. It has also emerged that Shambhunath Behera's wife is a partner in his organisation. Investigators plan to question survivors rescued from the site and examine their mobile phones for additional leads.
Political Fallout
In the state Assembly on Thursday, Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari blamed the former Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for the incident. He claimed that the design of the collapsed warehouse bore the signature of former Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim and asserted that no one would be spared. The police have since expanded the scope of their investigation accordingly.
With rescue operations ongoing and the precise number of missing workers still unknown, the Taratala collapse has exposed critical gaps in construction-site labour oversight in the city.
Point of View
But it should not distract from the present government's own obligation to enforce labour and safety codes on active sites today. Until worker registration becomes a non-negotiable condition for any construction permit in Kolkata, the next Taratala is a matter of when, not if.
NationPress
25 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the Taratala warehouse in Kolkata?
The roof of an under-construction warehouse in Taratala, south Kolkata collapsed on Wednesday afternoon, trapping an estimated 40 workers under the debris. As of Thursday, 11 people have been confirmed dead and 19 others are injured and receiving treatment at SSKM Hospital.
Why can't police say how many workers are still trapped?
No attendance register or workers' record was maintained at the construction site, making it impossible for authorities to determine how many labourers were present at the time of the collapse. This has significantly complicated both rescue efforts and the investigation.
Who has been arrested in connection with the Taratala collapse?
Police have arrested five people: building supervisor Mohammad Gulzar of Ayan Traders, contractor Shambhunath Behera of Behera Brothers, iron-frame manufacturer Kamal Samant, labour supplier Dibakar Bhandari, and KMC-linked broker Abdul Hamid. Main contractor Asghar Hussain, also named in the FIR, was found dead in the rubble.
What is the KMC's role in the Taratala warehouse collapse investigation?
Kolkata Police have sought documents from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and are examining the role of municipal officials. Abdul Hamid, arrested in connection with the case, allegedly acted as a broker for KMC design approvals for the warehouse project.
What is the political reaction to the Taratala warehouse collapse?
Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari, speaking in the state Assembly on Thursday, blamed the former Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for the incident and claimed the warehouse design bore the signature of former Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim. He asserted that no one would be spared in the investigation.
