2 min readKolkataAug 18, 2026 12:49 PM IST
A 200-year-old building collapsed in Kolkata’s Jorabagan amid heavy rain early Tuesday, killing an elderly woman and leaving several residents trapped under the debris.
The three-storey structure had long been declared dangerous by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), but several families continued to live there.
Around 5 am, residents were jolted awake by a loud crash as a large section of the dilapidated building caved in. Rescue teams from the Kolkata Police, disaster management department and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to the spot and pulled several people to safety. The elderly woman, Urmila Shaw, however, succumbed to injuries after being rescued.
The woman is survived by her husband and two sons — all three had managed to come out of the house at the time of the accident.
The tragedy highlights a growing safety concern across Kolkata and its neighbouring areas, where persistent monsoon rain is putting additional stress on ageing and already weakened structures. Similar incidents have been reported in Howrah and Bhabanipur in recent weeks.
On Monday, a portion of a century-old three-storey building collapsed in Howrah, trapping its elderly owner inside one of the rooms. Fire department officials and Howrah Police rushed to the spot and, after hours of rescue efforts, managed to pull the man to safety by cutting through the iron window bars.
In Bhabanipur, an old library building also partially collapsed recently. Despite repeated municipal warnings, many residents continue to live in buildings classified as hazardous, raising concerns over whether authorities should go beyond issuing danger notices and actively relocate families living in vulnerable structures.
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The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) currently tracks over 2,500 structures marked as “insecure” or “dangerous,” with roughly 150 categorised as “extremely vulnerable” and posing an immediate collapse risk during monsoon spells.
Despite administrative measures, trading and residential hubs such as Jorabagan (Borough IV) and Burrabazar continue to present significant enforcement challenges due to deeply entrenched urban, legal, and economic factors.
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