“The Trinamool Congress has turned the ‘City of Joy’ into a death trap. This is the result of their own sins,” Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, as he addressed the deadly warehouse collapse at Brace Bridge in Kolkata’s Taratala that has claimed 11 lives so far.
Expressing grief over the incident, the Chief Minister announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of each deceased and Rs 1 lakh for those injured. He also provided an update on rescue operations, stating that 29 people have been rescued so far. Of the injured, 20 are undergoing treatment — 15 are stable, four are in serious condition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep grief over the tragic incident and announced financial assistance for the victims. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO India) conveyed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the incident. “Yesterday's accident in Kolkata was extremely tragic. Condolences to the families of the deceased,” the statement read.
The Prime Minister announced a one-time ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the National Relief Fund to the families of each deceased victim, along with Rs 50,000 for those injured in the collapse.
The five-storey warehouse collapsed on Wednesday, trapping several workers under debris. Questions have since been raised regarding the approval of the building, which was granted during the tenure of the previous Trinamool Congress government.
Targeting the former administration, Adhikari alleged that construction approvals were granted in exchange for money, and warned that his government would conduct a thorough audit of all such buildings.
“No construction approved through irregular means will be allowed to continue,” he said, adding that those found guilty would face confiscation of assets and imprisonment.
In a direct allegation, the Chief Minister pointed to former Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, claiming that documents show the building received approval in January despite structural flaws and bore the former Mayor’s signature. As an immediate measure, Adhikari announced a halt on all under-construction building activities for the next four weeks across multiple municipal areas, including Kolkata, Rajarhat-Newtown, Maheshtala, Budge Budge, Pujali, Sonarpur, and Baruipur.
A high-level committee headed by IAS officer Rajesh Pandey has been constituted to investigate the incident. The panel will include Smita Pandey, Rachna Bhagat, Rajesh Sinha, Khalil Ahmed, representatives from IIT, the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), and the Director General of the Building Department.
The committee has been tasked with auditing building plans and identifying any irregularities in design, safety compliance, and construction quality. The Chief Minister reiterated that strict action would be taken against those responsible, as the government adopts a zero-tolerance stance on corruption.
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