Taratala Godown Collapse: Five Arrested as Death Toll Rises to 11 in Kolkata

Five persons have been arrested in connection with the Taratala godown collapse case that has claimed 11 lives so far, Kolkata Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Kunal Agrawal said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference, Agrawal said, "So far, 11 people have died, and 19 others have been injured. Rescue operations are still ongoing," adding that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the Detective Department (DD) are jointly probing the incident.

Providing details on the investigation, the Additional CP revealed that two of the accused have prior criminal records.

"Initially, it was found that a company had taken the premises on lease... Two of the accused have previous criminal records. Interrogation is ongoing. Both the DD and an SIT are investigating the matter, and a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been prepared for the probe," he said.

What Actions Are Being Taken Against Illegal Buildings After the Tragedy?

Agrawal also said that the police are in touch with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) regarding the structural aspects of the collapsed building.

"We have held preliminary discussions with the KMC, but a formal letter is still awaited," he said.

An under-construction godown shed collapsed near Brace Bridge in Kolkata's Taratala area on Wednesday, triggering a large-scale rescue operation involving multiple agencies.

Earlier today, West Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul said that all new construction sites under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) limits will undergo audits following the tragic incident.

Speaking to ANI, Paul said, "Following CM's instructions, all new construction sites under KMC limits will be audited.”

“Today, we will hold a meeting to formulate SOPs for such audits. There can be no forgiveness for those from the past government who were involved in this. Strict action will be taken in this case. Notices have been sent to all illegal buildings. It is very tough to now streamline what was done by the previous government by allowing the construction of illegal buildings,” she added.

Meanwhile, three persons, building supervisor Saiyad Md Gulzar and two labour suppliers, Md Ataul and Subhash Chowdhury, were arrested in connection with the collapse, and the West Bengal government subsequently constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Joysurja Mukherjee, to investigate the case.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had earlier said preliminary information suggested irregularities in the sanctioned construction plan.

"The project plan was approved on January 17, 2026. The owner of the land is SMPA, and it has a lease on the land in the name of Shambhunath Behera and partners. As per initial information, a wrong plan was initially sanctioned," Adhikari had said.

(With inputs from ANI)