Kolkata, 7 August (H.S.):

Two people were seriously injured when a portion of a dilapidated building collapsed in the Entally area of Kolkata on Thursday morning. The incident took place around 10 a.m. at 1, Onright Lane. Following the collapse, police personnel from Entally Police Station and teams from the Disaster Management Department rushed to the site.

According to local residents, 63-year-old Manjhu Lahiri was standing in the veranda of the old building when it suddenly caved in. At the same moment, 79-year-old Rathin Sen was passing by. Both were trapped under the debris and sustained serious injuries.

Residents immediately rushed to the spot and helped rescue the victims from under the rubble. They were then taken to the hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, the police have cordoned off the area and initiated an investigation to assess the structural condition of the building.

This incident comes just a week after a similar case was reported in the municipal area of Chunchura in Hooghly district, where another dilapidated structure collapsed. Continuous rainfall in the region has increased the risk of such incidents, not only in urban centres but also in rural areas where mud houses and weak structures are increasingly collapsing, resulting in loss of life and property across various parts of the state.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh