An iron gate of an under-construction housing complex in Behala came crashing down on a security guard early on Wednesday. He died in hospital.
Bimal Das, in his late 40s, worked at Natura, a housing complex between Behala and New Alipore, on Chanditala Main Road.
“Around 2.30 am, Das was manually operating the sliding gate when it fell on him. He was grievously injured when shifted to the Vidyasagar State General Hospital nearby. He died at the hospital,” said an officer of Behala police station.
A suspected glitch in the channel at the base of the gate is suspected to have caused the accident, police sources said. The weight of the gate was over 200 kg, they said.
The police have started a case of unnatural death. “We have not received any complaint from Das’s family,” said an officer.
The city was being battered by rain when the accident happened. But a construction engineer not associated with the project said rain was unlikely to have contributed to the accident. “Sliding gates move across a bottom rail or track on a set of rollers. A properly installed and well-maintained gate should not get derailed. But if the track and the gate are not aligned properly, it might get derailed,” he said.
“Grinding sounds and stilted operation are among the warning signs.”
The locality, a five-minute drive from New Alipore, was once dotted with small industrial units. Following their gradual closure, vacant land parcels started luring real-estate players. In the past decade, several standalone apartments and gated communities have come up.
Natura is being developed by Srijan Realty and marketed by a slew of real estate players. The website said the project has 241 flats and marks 2025 as the year of possession.
Calls and text messages to the management of Srijan went unanswered.