Kolkata building collapse: Toll rises to 11 after body found in debris

Kolkata, March 22 (IANS) Death toll in the collapse of the five-storey under-construction building in the Garden Reach area of Kolkata has now risen to 11 as another body was recovered from under the debris on Friday morning.

The deceased was identified as Abdul Rauf Nizami. His body was taken to the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College & Hospital where he was declared as brought dead.

It is learnt that the deceased was engaged in installation of electrical connections at the said building which collapsed on Monday morning. The family members of the deceased said that he used to go to that building every day for his regular activities there.

However, the local people have claimed that the deceased person was virtually the second-in-command of the promoter of building Md Wasim, who has already been taken into custody by Kolkata Police after that mishap.

The collapse of the building has created controversy relating to the alleged nexus of the real estate promotion circles with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation that led to mushrooming of illegal constructions in the Garden Reach area which is adjacent to the Kolkata Port.

Even a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday observed that it sounded unlikely that the construction was being raised illegally without the knowledge of the competent administration.

The division bench had also directed the West Bengal government to submit an action taken report (ATR) in the matter by the next date of hearing on April 4.