Kolkata: Koi andar hain? (Is anyone there?).The desperate call from workers rang out through the mangled remains of an under-construction warehouse on Transport Depot Road in Taratala on Wednesday as rescuers cut through twisted steel and shattered concrete to reach out to those trapped below.From somewhere deep beneath the debris came a faint reply: “Hum yahan hain. Please bachalo. Hum teen hai (We are here. Please save us… Three of us are here.”The muffled voices became a lifeline for nearly 400 rescue personnel drawn from seven agencies, including the Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Kolkata Police, Fire Brigade, Civil Defence and disaster management teams, who worked through the day to reach workers trapped under tonnes of concrete and metal.By late Wednesday, at least 25 people were rescued from the wreckage. Even after nightfall, rescuers feared that at least a dozen more could still be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.Kolkata Police’s Disaster Management Group and SDRF teams were among the first to reach the site, followed by reinforcements from the Army and NDRF. Rescue workers moved with extreme caution, knowing that any sudden shift in the debris could further endanger those trapped below. The rescuers punched holes in the concrete and lowered oxygen cylinders, masks, torches and water bottles to those trapped below.At several points, rescuers pressed megaphones against narrow gaps in the rubble and shouted into the darkness, trying to locate survivors. Others crawled close to unstable sections of the debris after hearing voices from underneath. The responses from trapped workers helped teams identify possible air pockets and survivor locations.Emergency teams used angle cutters, diamond chain saws, air plasma cutting machines and cordless hammer drills to slice through concrete and steel. Piece by piece, they dismantled sections of the collapsed warehouse and pulled out injured workers.Four columns of Army personnel, along with specialised rescue engineers and medical teams, led key parts of the operation. Medical units from Kolkata Municipal Corporation and CMRI Hospital were stationed at the site to provide immediate treatment to those brought out alive.Three NDRF teams continued working into the night. “We are still working to bring out the people trapped under the debris. We have to proceed carefully as the debris may harm those trapped underneath,” an NDRF official said.Throughout the afternoon, ambulances, police vehicles, cranes and trucks carrying heavy cutting equipment moved in and out of the disaster zone. Giant cranes lifted large chunks of debris as rescue personnel searched every accessible cavity for signs of life.A drone monitored the operation from above, while sniffer dogs were deployed across the debris field to detect survivors.“The entire ground shook. For a moment, it felt like an earthquake. Some workers managed to come out on their own, but many were trapped,” said Karan Das, who works at a nearby factory and was among the first to respond at the site.As evening set in, powerful halogen lights lit up the wreckage site. Rescue personnel climbed over mangled steel beams, while others stood ready with stretchers.One of the most emotional moments came when rescuers carried an immobile injured labourer across a cleared section of debris towards a waiting ambulance. The crowd, which was murmuring anxiously through the day, fell silent. “Is he alive?” someone asked.Around 4.15 pm, another labourer was pulled out by two rescuers, all three covered in dust. The rescued worker sat silently on a stretcher, visibly traumatised, as medical personnel rushed him away for treatment. The crowd broke into cheers, applauding the rescuers for their bravery.
