Kolkata warehouse collapse: 3 dead, 21 rescued, 12-18 still trapped

A three-storey under-construction warehouse collapsed in Kolkata's Taratala area on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least three people and leaving an estimated 12 to 18 workers feared trapped under the debris. Rescue teams pulled 21 people out alive, officials said.

The building gave way around 2:30 p.m. local time, according to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Emergency crews from the National Disaster Response Force and local fire services reached the site within 30 minutes. They worked through the evening, cutting through steel beams and concrete slabs to reach survivors.

One rescued worker, speaking from a hospital bed, said he heard a loud crack before the roof came down. "There was no warning. The whole floor just dropped," he told reporters. Doctors at the nearby Taratala General Hospital said five of the rescued were in critical condition with crush injuries and fractures.

The structure was being built for a private logistics firm, according to the local police station's initial report. Neighbors said construction had been going on for eight months. They complained about the speed of work and the quality of materials being used.

"We heard banging and shouting. Then a cloud of dust," said a shopkeeper across the street. "The noise lasted maybe 10 seconds. Then silence."