Old Kolkata Building gives way: One Dead, 19 Injured as Rescue Teams Work Through Debris

A portion of an old residential building in north Kolkata’s Jorabagan collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday, killing one person and injuring 19 others. The incident took place at 31 Brajadulal Street, where emergency teams were rushed to the spot after residents were trapped beneath the debris.

The collapse occurred amid continuous rain in the city, with a section of the three-storey structure reportedly giving way in the early morning. Local residents joined the initial rescue effort before Kolkata Police and disaster-management teams reached the site. Several people were pulled out and the injured were taken for medical treatment.

The deceased has been identified in local reports as 55-year-old Urmila Sahu. She was reportedly trapped under a heavy concrete slab after the collapse and could not be saved. The latest reported casualty figure stands at one dead and 19 injured, while rescue and safety operations continue at the site.

The condition and history of the building have also come under scrutiny. According to local reports, the structure was around 200 years old and had reportedly been in a severely dilapidated state. Residents claimed that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) had previously declared the building dangerous and put up a notice, yet families continued to occupy it. These claims are now likely to form part of the wider questions surrounding the incident.

The collapse has posed newer questions over Kolkata’s ageing buildings during the monsoon and increasing need for residential space, when prolonged rainfall can further weaken already vulnerable structures. Authorities are assessing the remaining portion of the building and the surrounding area to determine whether additional evacuation or safety measures are required.

For now, the focus remains on rescue, medical assistance and securing the site, while the circumstances that led to the collapse and the earlier civic warning are likely to face closer scrutiny.