The death toll in the Taratala warehouse collapse has risen to eight as Kolkata Police arrested five people, including the owner of the under-construction warehouse, its structural engineer, and supervisor, in connection with one of the city's deadliest industrial disasters in recent years. 

The arrests came a day after the under-construction warehouse on Transport Depot Road in Taratala collapsed around 12.05 pm on Wednesday, trapping several labourers beneath tonnes of concrete and twisted metal.

The toll, which stood at five on Wednesday, climbed to eight after more bodies were recovered during the ongoing rescue operation on Thursday.

Police arrested warehouse owner Shambhunath Behera from a residential complex in the Taratala area around midnight on Wednesday.

A suo motu case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered against him. After an overnight questioning of around nine people, police formally arrested five accused in the case.

Those arrested are Shambhunath Behera, warehouse owner; Kamal Samanta, the structural engineer; Syed Mohammad Gulzar, the building supervisor; Mohammad Ataul, the labour supplier who provided workers for the warehouse; and Subhash Sarkar.

According to officials, 31 workers have so far been pulled out of the collapsed structure. While several were rescued alive, eight have now succumbed to their injuries.

Rescue teams fear more workers could still be trapped beneath the rubble, prompting authorities to continue the operation without interruption.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Kunal Agrawal said the collapse occurred at an under-construction warehouse on Transport Depot Road and that five workers were declared dead at hospitals on Wednesday.

He added that the rescue operation is being jointly carried out by the Kolkata Police Disaster Management Group, Kolkata Municipal Corporation personnel, Fire Services, Civil Defence teams and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), with operations continuing round the clock.

Rescuers have deployed sniffer dogs and advanced equipment to detect signs of life beneath the debris.

Officials said several mobile phones belonging to trapped workers are still active, allowing teams to use their signals to identify possible locations under the collapsed structure.

The Army has also brought in a specialised life-detection radar capable of detecting people buried beneath debris, significantly strengthening the search effort.

Investigators are probing whether negligence, construction flaws, or violations of safety norms contributed to the collapse.

The criminal investigation is expected to examine the building's structural design, construction practices, and compliance with safety regulations.

Senior state officials, including the Home Secretary and Health Minister, have visited the accident site to oversee rescue efforts and review the situation.

Heavy machinery continues to clear debris carefully to avoid endangering anyone who may still be trapped underneath.

As rescue operations continue into another day, authorities remain hopeful of locating survivors even as the investigation gathers pace.

The Taratala warehouse collapse has raised fresh concerns over construction safety standards, labour welfare, and regulatory oversight at worksites across Kolkata.