New Delhi: The death toll in the collapse of the five-story under-construction building in Kolkata's Garden Reach area has risen to eight. Search and rescue operations are underway to find more survivors who may be trapped under the rubble.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the site and assured locals of stern action against illegal construction.
West Bengal BJP president leader of the opposition in the state legislative assembly, Suvendu Adhikari slammed the ruling TMC government over the incident. He claimed that TMC and Kolkata Corporation were "directly responsible" for the accident.
"The building collapsed in the midnight. 6 people have died till now. TMC and Kolkata Corporation are directly responsible for this... This was an illegal construction. Under TMC, more than 5000 illegal constructions are there in Kolkata, with the help of police, local councillor and corporation... In Metiabruz, there are at least 800 illegal constructions... TMC has acquired all water bodies like a land mafia... Local councillor should be arrested and the Mayor should resign," Adhikari said.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor CV Anand Bose said, "It is very painful to see that helpless people died due to no fault of their own. There's a failure on the part of builders and supervisors. The supervisory authorities have miserably failed in their duty."
Bose also visited the site where the building collapsed in the Garden Reach area earlier today.
CPIM West Bengal secretary Md Salim hit out at the Kolkata Police for protecting the Councillor, alleging he is into illegal activities and is driving a car worth crores.
Salim said, "Who is the Councillor? When the police were murdered here, the Kolkata Police were so shameless that they did not pursue that case. Mamata Banerjee said that some compensation would be provided and asked to stay quiet. If the Councillor is driving a car worth crores, then he is earning money from somewhere. He is into illegal activities and the police are protecting him and people are losing lives..."
BJP MP Locket Chatterjee expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the building collapse.
"My deepest sympathies to the families of the victims who tragically lost their lives in the collapse of the illegal building in Garden Reach. May Shama Begum, Hasina Khatun, Mohammad Wasiq, Rizwan Alam, Mohammad Imran, and Akbar Ali rest in peace," she posted on X.
City mayor Firhad Hakim announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 1 lakh to injured persons.