Worker, child injured in collapse, lack of precautions in ‘reconstruction’: KMC
Telegraph | 18 March 2025
A man and an 11-year-old boy were injured after portions of a five-storey building on Muktaram Babu Street in central Calcutta collapsed on Sunday afternoon, police said.
An official of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said the old building was being “reconstructed” and the owners had taken a valid permit for the reconstruction from the civic body.
“It seems they did not take adequate precautions while pulling down an old structure. We will issue a notice to the structural engineer and licensed building surveyor. They should have been more careful,” said a senior KMC official.
Residents and shop owners said they heard a loud sound around 3.45pm when the front wall, facing Muktaram Babu Street, of a portion of the house collapsed.
A man working at the site was trapped in the debris. Residents of the area rescued him. He was admitted to Medical College Kolkata.
“One of the injured, a 36-year-old man, has fracture injuries in his rib. He is stable now. Residents brought him to our hospital,” said an official of Medical College Kolkata.
“An 11-year-old boy, who was crossing the road was also brought to our hospital with bruises and abrasions. He is still under observation in the emergency room. He is stable,” said the official.
Rajesh Kumar Sinha, the councillor of KMC’s Ward 25, said the wall from the third floor, along with the bamboo scaffolding, collapsed on the road.
“Since it was afternoon and very hot, the road was empty. If the collapse had happened in the morning or evening, many more would have been injured,” said Sinha.
Muktaram Babu Street, near Ram Mandir, connects CR Avenue on its west with Bidhan Sarani on its east.
Pragya Paramita Ghosh, 35, a resident, said she was afraid of crossing the stretch after Sunday’s incident.
“I am scared to cross this stretch. What if the rest of the building collapses?” she asked.