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The toll in the Kolkata warehouse collapse incident rose to 16 on Saturday with the death of an injured person in a hospital, while rescue teams from multiple agencies sifted through the debris on the fourth day since the incident to ensure no one is still trapped, officials said. Cameras have been placed beneath the rubble to check for trapped persons, while mobile phone tower data is being used to trace the location of individuals whose phones remain active under the debris. "Our first priority is to complete the search and rescue operation. Teams are carefully checking every part of the collapsed structure. Massive debris clearance will start only after we are fully satisfied that no one is trapped inside," an official said. Large-scale debris removal will begin only after rescue personnel are certain that there are no more survivors or bodies under the rubble, he said. A senior state government official said, "A person, Khalek Sardar of Basanti, undergoing treatment at the ...
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday said nine people have died and 20 others were injured when an under-construction warehouse collapsed in Kolkata's Taratala area a day ago. In a statement in the Assembly, he announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of each deceased and Rs one lakh for each injured in the incident. Of the 20 injured, one is in critical condition, and four are in serious condition, the chief minister said. Stating that five people have been arrested in connection with the warehouse collapse at Transport Depot Road in west Kolkata, Adhikari asserted that no one will be spared. He said that former mayor and minister Firhad Hakim's signature appears on the building plan of the collapsed warehouse. A day earlier, the chief minister said that preliminary inputs received from Kolkata Municipal Corporation engineers suggested that there were defects in the building plan approved for the warehouse. He has suspended till July 31 the work of a
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday commissioned three indigenously-built naval ships at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port here. The three indigenously built frontline platforms -- stealth frigate Dunagiri, survey vessel (large) Sanshodhak, and anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft Agray-- represent key operational capabilities across maritime combat, hydrographic surveying and anti-submarine warfare. West Bengal Governor R N Ravi, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, and Indian Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan were among the dignitaries present at the commissioning event. The vessels were designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau and built by Kolkata-based Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. These platforms have indigenous content exceeding 75 per cent, with extensive participation by the Indian industry, including more than 200 MSMEs, in their construction, an official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday lead the nation in observing the 12th International Day of Yoga from Red Road in central Kolkata. He will also commission three indigenously designed and built naval ships at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port here. Addressing a programme to mark the 'Paschimbanga Divas' of West Bengal Day at Tarakeswar on Saturday, the PM urged the people across the state to organise Yoga Day events and participate actively. Stating that he will participate in Yoga Day here this time, Modi said, "I want Yoga Day celebrations to be organised across Bengal, in every corner." He said that this land of yogis like Swami Vivekananda and Maharshi Aurobindo will send a guiding message to the entire world. Yoga Day celebrations are being organised across nearly 2,500 locations worldwide, with participation from more than 210 Indian missions and posts, reaffirming yoga's status as a global movement for health, harmony and collective well-being, an official statement
US Consul General in Kolkata Kathy Giles-Diaz said trafficking networks pose a serious threat to communities and national security, and stressed the need for dismantling such transnational criminal operations at their source. Addressing the 'US-India Cooperation to Counter Trafficking Threats' conclave in Ranchi, Giles-Diaz said trafficking networks harm communities, threaten national security, and exploit the most vulnerable. "That is why we are here -- not just to talk, but to act. Under President Trump, American foreign policy is anchored by a clear directive: Make America Safer. That means disrupting transnational criminal networks at the source," she said. "None of this can be done alone. We are here to work alongside you," she added. The US Consulate General in Kolkata hosted the Enforcement Cooperation Conclave in Ranchi on Thursday, bringing together representatives from government agencies, law enforcement bodies, civil society organisations, NGOs and academia. The ...
Kolkata Metro Railway will start services from 4 am on Sunday, nearly five hours before the normal schedule, on its three corridors to help people attend the International Day of Yoga celebration at Red Road, officials said. Additional services have also been planned, keeping in mind the large turnout expected at the Yoga Day event and the transportation needs of NEET-UG aspirants and their guardians. The timings of the last Metro services from terminal stations will remain unchanged. On the Blue Line, connecting Dakshineswar and Shahid Khudiram, Metro Railway will operate 214 services (107 in each direction) against the usual 152 on Sundays. Trains will run at intervals of 14-15 minutes between 4 am and 8 am. Between Howrah Maidan and Salt Lake Sector V stations on the Green Line, 173 services (87 UP and 86 DN) will be operated compared with the normal 108 on Sundays. Trains will operate every 10-15 minutes between 4 am and 9 am. On the Yellow Line that links Noapara and Jai Hind
Police issued a fresh notice to former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas on Saturday, asking him to appear before investigators within 48 hours for questioning in a case related to the chaos at the Lionel Messi event at Salt Lake Stadium in December. Biswas had not complied with two notices sent by the Bidhannagar police earlier to appear before it for questioning in the case. He had sought time for appearance, citing personal reasons, sources said. They said that officers served the third notice at the registered address of the former minister. This came after the Calcutta High Court granted protection to Biswas from coercive action till August 17 and directed him to appear before the probe agency on a notice by it, which is to be served at least 48 hours prior. The case stems from an FIR lodged against him by the event organiser Shatadru Dutta, accusing the former minister of black-marketing tickets, extortion, criminal intimidation and cheating in connection with the ...
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Kolkata on Saturday for his four-day diplomatic tour to India, with the city marking the opening leg of a visit that carries considerable political and historical resonance. His arrival in the eastern metropolis ended a 14-year hiatus since an American secretary of state last visited the city, coming only weeks after West Bengal witnessed a landmark political transition with a BJP-led government assuming office. In a post on X, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said, "Secretary Marco Rubio has landed in Kolkata. This is his first trip to India. Later today, we will call on Prime Minister @narendramodi in New Delhi. Trade, Technology, Defense, QUAD, and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days!" Rubio became the first US secretary of state to set foot in Kolkata since Hillary Clinton visited the city in May 2012. Although the US Department of State was yet to publish Rubio's Kolkata itinerary, sources in the US ...
Security was tightened across key locations in Kolkata on Saturday ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP government in West Bengal, including at the residence of chief minister-designate Suvendu Adhikari, Brigade Parade Grounds and outside former CM Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence. Heavy security deployment was seen outside Adhikari's Chinar Park residence here. Security arrangements were also intensified at the RCTC Ground, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to land before attending the ceremony. A multi-layered security apparatus, including central forces and Kolkata Police personnel, was put in place at Brigade Parade Grounds, the venue of the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected BJP government. CRPF personnel were deployed outside Banerjee's Kalighat residence amid heightened political activity in the city. The BJP registered a historic win in the polls, ending Trinamool Congress' 15-year rule in the state. Meanwhile, BJP supporters from nor
Hours after party supremo Mamata Banerjee urged TMC leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil over strongrooms housing EVMs, party candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a sit-in protest at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra on Thursday, alleging irregular activities inside the facility. The protest came a day after the second phase of polling in West Bengal on Wednesday, following which EVMs were stored in strongrooms at the centre. Meanwhile, TMC sources said that the CM was also heading to the centre to take stock of the situation. Alleging procedural lapses, TMC leaders claimed party workers stationed outside the strongroom were asked to leave in the afternoon and later received information that the strongroom would be reopened at 4 pm. Speaking on the incident, Ghosh claimed, "Party workers and supporters were present outside the strongroom till 3.30 pm. Suddenly, an email was sent informing that the strongroom would be opened again at 4 pm. We contacted o
Kolkata-based Nipha Group has launched a brand OneHorn, as part of a push to expand its agriculture machinery business in at least 20 states and 10 countries, including the US and European markets, company officials said on Sunday. Its chairman Mahesh Chandra Shah said the Indian agricultural ecosystem was at an inflection point where mechanisation and entrepreneurship must come together. "With our brand, we are building a structured, partner-first platform that enables our channel associates to grow as agripreneurs - stronger, more profitable, and future-ready," he said. The company, which began its agri-business journey in 1988 with spare part supplies before graduating to components and then full machines, claimed that OneHorn is the first brand in eastern India to offer a diversified range of agri equipment with a make-in-India focus. Executive Director Aakash Shah said the brand is designed to give partners "the right products, systems, and support to scale their business with
Former Union minister Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury died in Kolkata due to age-related ailments, his family said. Choudhury, popularly known as Dalu, was 89. He is survived by wife and a son, Congress's Malda Dakshin MP Isha Khan Choudhury. His death marks the end of an era in the politics of Malda district, where he remained a key figure for decades. Choudhury, a veteran Congressman, had been suffering from multiple age-related complications. He died at a private hospital in Kolkata late on Wednesday, his family said. The last rites will be performed in Malda on Thursday. Born on January 12, 1938, into the prominent Khan Choudhury family of Malda, Dalu Choudhury entered politics under the guidance of his elder brother, the venerable ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, also a former Union minister. After his brother's demise, he emerged as the principal political figure in the family and played a crucial role in maintaining the Congress's hold over the district. He served as an MLA of the Kali
An unmanned third-party vehicle on the apron hit a parked IndiGo aircraft at Kolkata airport on Tuesday, prompting the airline to ground the plane for inspection, the carrier said. "A third-party unmanned vehicle on the apron moved and came in contact with a parked IndiGo aircraft at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata on April 7, 2026. The relevant authorities have been informed," an IndiGo spokesperson said. The aircraft has been grounded and is undergoing thorough inspections and necessary maintenance before being cleared for operations, the spokesperson added. The plane was scheduled to operate flight 6E 6663 from Kolkata to Guwahati, but the airline arranged an alternate aircraft to operate the service. No injuries were reported.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not raise Pakistan's threat to attack Kolkata, during his poll rallies in West Bengal a day earlier. "You (PM) target Bengal during election rallies; but when Pakistan talks of attacking Bengal, you do not utter a word. You should resign," she said at a poll rally here in Nadia district. "Why did the prime minister not raise the issue during his rally in Bengal? When Pakistan's defence minister says they will attack Kolkata, why didn't the prime minister say that 'we will take strong action'?" she posed a day after Modi addressed a poll rally in West Bengal's Cooch Behar. "Just like we do not accept any threat to the country, we will also not take the threat to Kolkata lying down," she said. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday warned India that it would respond with a strike in Kolkata to any "future misadventures". "If India tries to stage any false flag operation this
Twenty months after the rape and murder of a young doctor inside Kolkata's state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital triggered nationwide outrage, the politics of that crime has caught up with Bengal's election battlefield. In Panihati, a constituency that for nearly six decades changed hands only between the Left and the Congress and later TMC, the April 29 contest is no longer just another election. In this north Kolkata suburb, now regarded as a safe TMC seat, voters are being asked less about local grievances and more about a question that has haunted Bengal since August 2024: "Who failed the RG Kar victim, and who can still deliver justice?" With the BJP fielding the victim doctor's mother, the TMC defending a fortress built over three decades, and the CPI(M) trying to reclaim a protest movement it helped lead, Panihati has become the constituency where Bengal's most emotionally charged issue is headed for its fiercest political test. The BJP has fielded the victim doctor'
A man died after allegedly getting trapped in a lift at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata on Friday, sparking a political storm ahead of the Assembly elections, with the opposition BJP alleging negligence and demanding a murder probe. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari termed the death "murder" and held Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also heads the health department, along with Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam and hospital authorities, responsible. "I have documents with me... they intentionally killed (the man) using a lift that was being repaired. A case of murder should be immediately registered," Adhikari told reporters while campaigning in Purba Medinipur. According to the victim's family, the man, in his early 40s, got stuck inside the elevator when it suddenly malfunctioned. They alleged that the lift was under maintenance, had no operator on duty, and was not properly secured. A senior hospital official said the man was ..