65-year-old woman dies after large concrete ceiling chunk falls on her during sleep
Telegraph | 6 January 2026
A 65-year-old woman died in her sleep early on Monday after a large chunk of concrete broke off from the ceiling of a three-storey residential building and fell on her family near Park Circus.
The incident occurred around 3.10am in a congested residential building on Samshul Huda Road. Rabia Khatun suffered severe injuries and was declared dead at Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital.
Other members of the family were injured. Wahid Abdul, 57, was admitted to NRS hospital with critical injuries.
Danis Alam, 16, Ayesha Khatoon, 9, and Rakia Khatoon, 75, were treated and discharged from hospital.
A portion of the ceiling concrete came off, exposing iron rods, and crashed onto the family who were sleeping.
A family member told police that they had complained “several times” to the landlord about the damaged roof. The landlord, who stays on the upper floor, allegedly ignored their concerns.
No written complaint had been lodged by the family until Monday evening. An unnatural death case has been registered at Karaya police station.
Senior police officers said the landlord would be examined to understand the construction history. “We have sought all documents related to the building,” an officer of Karaya police station said.
The building, located in a densely populated neighbourhood, is not more than 50 years old, said local councillor Nibedita Sharma of Ward 65. “It is barely 40-50 years old. From the outside, it is difficult to assess internal cracks or damage. The building did not appear endangered,” she said.
Sources in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said that the building had never been declared dangerous nor served any notice in the past.
Following the incident, the police cordoned off the stretch leading to the building amid fears of further collapse.
Officials from the KMC’s building department visited the site to inspect the damaged part and assess the condition of the remaining structure.
The police said a decision on whether the building should be declared unsafe would be taken based on the civic body’s assessment.
Many residents in the area expressed fear that other buildings could be in the same condition.
“We have lived here for over 20 years and never thought these buildings were unsafe. What happened today has shaken all of us. They did not even realise that the concrete was coming off as it was dark and the lights were off,” said a local homemaker and mother of two.