40 Trapped As Owner Demolishes Staircase In Kolkata Building

Around 40 residents were left trapped inside a dilapidated multi-storey building at 104, Madan Mohan Burman Street, off Mahatma Gandhi Road, on Friday after the building's new owner allegedly demolished the staircase connecting its floors — triggering a dramatic rescue operation involving police, the fire brigade, and civic authorities.

Personnel from the Disaster Management Group (DMG) of Kolkata Police and the KMC demolition squad spent the day evacuating residents through windows and narrow ledges using ladders, with scenes of panic unfolding across the building. Even by evening, several residents — including women and children — remained inside, refusing to leave as they had nowhere else to go.

The building, which houses over 50 rooms and residential units, was recently acquired by Shambhu Nath Singh, who residents allege has been pressuring them to vacate for real-estate redevelopment. "When the residents did not agree, his men started breaking sections of the building on the pretext of repairs," said resident Vibha Jha. A KMC official confirmed the promoter would be questioned over the failure to implement safety measures before beginning demolition, despite having obtained construction permission.

Local councillor Mohammad Jasimuddin noted that the pre-Independence structure housed families who had lived there for decades, and said he had previously alerted KMC's senior officials — including the mayor — about the owner's intentions. Resident Mohammad Salman summed up the desperation: "We do not have any other place to take our families. The promoter should make arrangements for us."

Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim assured that the civic body would protect tenant interests and would not hesitate to use its authority to do so.