Garden Reach tragedy: Another body recovered, toll rises to 11

Kolkata: Though the national Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had stopped the rescue operations at the Azhar Molla Bagan in Garden Reach, the Disaster Management Group (DMG) and state civil defense continued and on Thursday found the body of another man identified as Abdul Rauf Nizami alias Sheru.

With the recovery of the body, the death toll reached 11.

Around 11:55 pm on Sunday, a five-storey building located at Azhar Molla Bagan collapsed and at least 15 people got trapped under the debris. Within a few moments, Disaster Management Group personnel along with Fire Brigade personnel arrived and started the rescue operation. Later, the NDRF team joined the rescue operation. Until Wednesday, the rescue operation was conducted by the NDRF.

Though the Central agency stopped the rescue operations, local people claimed that Nizami was still missing and definitely still trapped under the debris. Later, while Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) started removing the debris, DMG and civil defence personnel kept on looking for Nizami and finally on Thursday found his body.

It may be mentioned that one of the land owners and the promoter were arrested earlier by the police and it has been alleged that substandard materials were used for the construction of the said building. It was also alleged that the promoter, Md Wasim was constructing the building without a proper plan.Sources said Md. Wasim reportedly confessed during interrogation that he pressured one of the owners of the land as he was not willing to hand it over for construction.