Archive · 18 Aug 2026
Kolkata building collapse kills woman; 19 trapped after rains
A very old house in Kolkata, a big city in India, fell down.
The house was about 200 years old and had three floors.
Heavy rain had been falling all through the night.
Early in the morning, people heard a loud crash as the house tumbled to the ground.
A woman named Urmila Shaw was stepping out of the house and sadly lost her life.
Nineteen other people, including her husband and son, are still stuck under the rubble.
Firefighters and rescue teams are working hard to find and save them.
The city government had said the house was unsafe and asked people to leave or fix it, but many stayed.
A very narrow lane makes it harder for rescuers to reach the trapped people.
Everyone is hoping that all the people inside can be rescued safely.
A roughly 200-year-old, three-storey building on Brajadulal Street in North Kolkata collapsed early Tuesday after nightlong heavy rain, killing one woman and trapping 19 residents.
The victim, Urmila Shaw, died as she stepped out of the house; reports differ on whether she died on the spot or after being rescued.
Nineteen people, including Shaw's husband and son, are feared trapped under the debris; a narrow lane and the building's single entry and exit are hampering rescue efforts.
Rescue teams from West Bengal fire services, state disaster management, Kolkata Police and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are working to free the trapped residents.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation had declared the building abandoned and repeatedly asked residents to vacate or renovate it, but about 20 people continued living there.
- Who
- Urmila Shaw, killed in the collapse; 19 residents, including her husband and son, feared trapped; rescuers from West Bengal fire services, state disaster management, Kolkata Police and the NDRF
- What
- A roughly 200-year-old, three-storey building collapsed after nightlong heavy rain, killing Urmila Shaw and trapping 19 residents under the debris
- When
- Early Tuesday morning, around 5 am, after nightlong heavy showers
- Where
- Brajadulal Street in the Simla-Beadon Street neighbourhood, North Kolkata
- Why
- The abandoned, dilapidated structure gave way under heavy rain; the Kolkata Municipal Corporation had declared it dangerous, but residents continued living there
- Deaths
- 1 (Urmila Shaw)
- People feared trapped
- 19
- Building age
- About 200 years
- Structure
- Three-storey, single entry and exit
- Location
- Brajadulal Street, Simla-Beadon Street, North Kolkata
- Time of collapse
- Around 5 am Tuesday after nightlong rain
- Rescue agencies
- West Bengal fire services, state disaster management, Kolkata Police, NDRF
- Building status
- Declared abandoned by Kolkata Municipal Corporation
