Garden Reach: At least 9 persons dead; ‘stern action’ against ‘illegal construction’, says CM

Kolkata: In the wake of a collapse of a five-storey under-construction building in Kolkata’s Garden Reach area on Sunday night leaving at least nine people dead, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assured stern action against those who are involved in illegal construction.

She announced compensation for the next of kin of the deceased and the injured as well.

Banerjee rushed to the spot on Monday morning with her bandaged forehead and supervised the rescue operation. She also visited the injured persons at a city hospital.

She said that was an illegal construction and action will be taken against the culprits. “I express my condolences to the families. This is an illegal construction. I will urge the administration to take strict action against those involved in illegal construction. When this construction was going on, those involved should have been more vigilant,” Banerjee said after visiting the injured in a hospital.

A part of the five-storey building collapsed on the adjacent slum in Azhar Mollah Bagan in the Garden Reach area around midnight. A search operation was underway to find more survivors who may be trapped under the ruins.

According to police, at least nine people died and 17 others were injured after the building collapsed on a few shanties of a slum. Among the 17 injured, five persons were discharged after necessary treatment from the SSKM Hospital. Other injured people were admitted to SSKM and a private hospital as well. A team of doctors from SSKM visited the private hospital. Banerjee also met the injured victims in the hospitals.

After visiting the spot Banerjee further stated: “Several houses were damaged. I urge my officers to take care of the issue. The whole incident occurred as it was an illegal building. I request my administration to take strong action.”

In a post on X, Banerjee earlier in the day said: “Sad to learn about the house collapse disaster of an under-construction building in the Garden Reach area of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Our Mayor, Fire Minister, Secretaries and Commissioner of Police, civic, police, fire and disaster management officers and teams (including NDRF, KMC and KP teams) have been on site throughout the night to mitigate the disaster.” “We shall provide compensation for the next of kin of the deceased and for the injured persons. We stand by the distressed families and rescue operations shall continue,” she added.