Kolkata, June 25: Over 20 hours after a devastating incident in the Taratala area of West Bengal, rescue operations are still ongoing. On Thursday morning, two more bodies were recovered from the rubble, raising the death toll to seven. Previously, the count stood at five as of Wednesday night.
In a significant move, police have arrested Shambhunath Bahra, the owner of the warehouse involved in the incident. This brings the total number of arrests related to the case to three, as authorities continue their investigation.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are tirelessly working at the site. Manish Ranjan, the commander of the NDRF’s second battalion, reported that 16 individuals have been safely rescued so far. Additionally, five people were found unconscious amidst the debris.
Ranjan mentioned that three to four individuals remain trapped under the rubble. The rescue team has created a pathway to reach one of them, with hopes of safely extracting the person within the next half hour. However, the situation for those trapped is extremely precarious, as they are surrounded by drains, unstable debris, and heavy structural obstacles. The team is proceeding with utmost caution to prevent any further harm.
The commander noted that the rescue operation is challenging due to multiple layers of concrete, iron rods, girders, and tin sheets within the collapsed structure, making access to the debris difficult.
He also stated that NDRF teams are continuously scanning the area using specialized search equipment and life detection devices. The use of water-pressure rescue techniques is currently not feasible. Instead, stabilization, cutting operations, and modern life detection tools are being employed for the ongoing rescue efforts. Where possible, trapped individuals are being provided with oxygen and other essential assistance.
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