Building collapses in Kolkata after heavy rainfall; woman, 3-year-old child die

Kolkata: A portion of an old two-storeyed building in the northern part of the city's Ahiritola lane collapsed today morning in which two persons including a three-year-old toddler and a woman died after a building collapsed. They were rescued from under the debris of the building but later succumbed to their injuries.

A huge team of disaster management, fire department, police personnel from the local police station are at the spot, an officer of Kolkata Police said. " The portion of the building at 9 Ahiritola lane, where two families have been staying, collapsed at around 6.40 am, he said. "One of the two families managed to get out of the rubbles through a big gap.

Locals rushed to the spot and informed the Jorabagan Police Station who along with personnel of the fire department and disaster management department rushed to the spot, the officer said, adding that those rescued have been taken to a nearby hospital. 

"The entire building is in a very bad shape and we have to conduct the rescue operations very cautiously otherwise there are chances of another disaster," he added.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted an intense spell of rain or thundershower accompanied with gusty wind over Kolkata and adjoining areas during the next 3-4 hours as cyclonic storm 'Gulab' is likely to reach the West Bengal coast on Wednesday.

"An intense spell of rain or thundershower accompanied with gusty wind 30-40 kmph is likely to continue over Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, East and West Midnapur, Jhargram, Howrah, Hooghly, east and west Midnapur, East and West Bardhaman, Birbhum districts of West Bengal during next 3-4 hours from 0700 hours IST of today the 29th September' 2021," the IMD said.