A tragic building collapse in central Kolkata has claimed the life of a senior citizen and left four of her family members injured. The incident has exposed the perilous state of old structures in the city and raised serious questions about owner accountability.
Early Morning Tragedy in Lohapul Locality
The accident occurred in the early hours of Monday, around 3:10 am, at a four-storey residential building on Samsul Huda Road in the Lohapul locality of Park Circus. According to police, a large section of the ground-floor ceiling suddenly gave way while the family was asleep.
Rabia Khatun, aged 65, suffered severe head injuries in the collapse. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead. The four injured victims include her young granddaughter Ayesha Khatun (9), her grandson Umar (16), also known as Danish Alam, her elder sister Rakia Khatun (75), and her brother Wahid Abdul (55).
Residents' Desperate Rescue and Allegations of Neglect
Neighbours reported hearing a loud crash around 4 am and immediately rushed to help. They began manually pulling away debris to rescue the trapped family members. The local community has expressed anger and frustration, alleging that the building had been in a dilapidated condition for a long time.
"This is a very old house. A part of the roof collapsed, causing the accident. But where is the owner? If someone owns a property, they have a responsibility. Playing with lives is not right. Tenants repeatedly requested repairs," said Md Ahmed, a local resident.
Other residents confirmed that the family had been living in the area for over seven decades. They stated that repeated pleas to the building owner for essential maintenance and repairs had gone unheeded, leaving the structure dangerously unstable.
Official Response and Condition of the Injured
The injured were admitted to CNMC Hospital and NRS Hospital. While Ayesha and Umar sustained minor injuries, the condition of Wahid Abdul was reported to be serious. Local Trinamool Congress councillor Nivedita Sharma visited the site in the morning. She confirmed the building appeared dilapidated and alleged that the owner had been warned about its condition but failed to act.
Police officials stated that while no formal complaint had been filed by Monday morning, they are initiating a suo-moto case in the matter. The incident underscores the critical need for stricter enforcement of building safety norms, especially for aging residential structures in densely populated urban areas like Kolkata.
