4 injured in Park St building collapse

Four persons were injured when a portion of an old, dilapidated building collapsed in Ripon Lane near Park Street on Thursday.

All the four injured persons were rushed to the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment. Two of the victims are reportedly in a serious condition as they received critical injuries after being struck by concrete chunks.

The incident had triggered tension in the area. According to the police, the local people heard a loud thud late Wednesday night and found that a portion of the old building had collapsed, injuring the four persons who were staying inside the house at the time of the incident. The accident occurred at around 1 am on Wednesday night. The victims were asleep when a portion of the roof fell on them, resulting in injuries to various parts of their bodies.

Local people said that the around 200-year-old building was declared hazardous by a team of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation after its visit to the locality. Police said that a portion of the roof had collapsed, injuring the inhabitants badly. Locals alleged that the owner of the house did not take any step after the KMC had declared the building hazardous. It was also said that the owner planned to sell the property to promoters, where a new building would eventually have been built. They also questioned why the people were allowed to stay in the building after it had been declared hazardous and on the verge of collapse by the KMC.

After being informed, the police and a team from the KMC reached the spot and started clearing the debris. The KMC team cleared the concrete chunks after a few hours. Police have started a probe in this connection. Local residents demanded that the police take action against the owner of the house as he did not take any step to pull down the building after it was declared dangerous by the authorities.