Portions of mkt, houses collapse in central, N Kol
Times of India | 26 July 2025
Kolkata: A portion of the first floor of Bowbazar Market on Nirmal Chandra Street collapsed on Friday morning after heavy rainfall. No one was injured in the incident, but the collapse highlighted poor maintenance and urgent need for repairs at the market.
The market, which houses over 540 shops and stalls along with several offices on the first and second floors, is owned by a private company. A prolonged dispute between the market's owners and tenants stalled all repairs. This is not the first such incident. Two years ago, a section of a first-floor balcony collapsed, raising similar safety concerns.
"The market is in a very bad condition. We are doing business by risking our lives. From the structure to electrical wiring, everything needs urgent repairs," said Anil Singh, a vendor. "Luckily, there were hardly any people when the portion collapsed. This area is usually very crowded, and it could have been a major disaster," said another shop owner.
At least two more partial house collapses were reported in the city on Friday morning. A balcony collapsed on BB Ganguly Street at ward 48 around 9.30 am. Police said it was part of a three-storey old commercial building. In another incident, a third-floor wall of a four-storey dilapidated building collapsed near Girish Park around 9.35 am on Friday.