So far, nine people have been declared dead and 17 were injured in the accident that took place around Sunday midnight, they said, while adding that the death toll is likely to go up.
“One person is still trapped under the rubble. Rescue operations are being carried out by personnel from Kolkata Police Disaster Management Department, National Disaster Management Department, Fire Brigade and Civil Defence,” said an official.
The rescue operation was stopped at night and it was started at 7.30 am on Tuesday.
In the latest development two small shacks were razed to make access for JCB machine to expedite the rescue operations that were otherwise made manual due to space constraints in the area.
On Monday, the fire and the disaster management team claimed that they were unable to use heavy machinery such as JCBs due to shortage of space. “The situation is such that there is no place to cut the rubble and throw it around. According to police, there is no place to bring a JCB or hydraulic crane as the area is narrow,” said an official.
“There is no place to take out or store all the concrete slabs that are being cut. As a result, it is being thrown here and there,” he added.
Lone Indian Secular Front (ISF) MLA from Bhangar constituency Naushad Siddiqui visited the accident spot and hit out against the slow-paced rescue work. “I am not here to do politics. But unfortunately the rescue operations are being done at a slow pace. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the West Bengal government have to take the accountability of converting wetlands to make way for illegal constructions,” Siddiqui told reporters on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the police arrested Mohammad Wasim, the promoter of the multi-storey building, on Monday for not adhering to rules. The collapse of illegal under construction building killing nine has highlighted the growing menace of illegal constructions in Kolkata.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who said the building was being constructed illegally had warned of stern action against those involved in its construction. Governor C V Ananda Bose has also spoken on the need to stop illegal constitutions in the area.
With Lok Sabha elections announced just days ago, the ruling Trinamool Congress blamed a “tradition of the (previous) Left rule” while the Opposition pointed out that ruling party leaders are hand in glove with the builders.
The under-construction building collapsed in Azhar Mullah Bagan in Garden Reach, killing nine people, including two women. The area that comes under ward 134 of KMC has a large number of illegal constructions amid small lanes and bylanes.