KOLKATA: A team of 25 KMC workers armed with shovels, spades, chisels, claw bars and hammers have been waiting outside Bagri Market , all set to pull down the precarious portions of the building the moment they get a police team to escort them inside.The KMC workers waited the whole of Friday morning and afternoon in two mini trucks parked outside Bagri Market but they could not get inside the sealed building as the cops were busy escorting Muharram processions.“Our job was to pull down the portions of the building that are hanging dangerously or are too weak and might collapse at any point of time. We are not here to demolish the structure, but only to pull down the hazardous parts. But we could not start our work in the absence of a police team,” said an engineer of the KMC buildings department.The team of demolition workers, along with officials of KMC buildings and conservancy departments, had reached the spot around 7am and were positioned outside the building till 5.30pm, waiting for a green signal from the KMC headquarter to start the process. “We were given strict instructions to not venture inside on our own without the policemen. Firstly, they know the dangerous portions and secondly, there is always a chance of resistance from a section of traders. We do not want to get into any trouble and hence sought for a police escort during the job,” said another senior KMC official.The official added they would be there outside the market again on Saturday and would get in once they get the police escort.Police said the KMC officials had sought their help in the morning, but with a large number of cops deployed on procession duty, they could not provide enough men to oversee the drive.“KMC had sought our help to guide some of their men inside the building to remove the debris. Our men were pre-occupied on Friday, but we will guide them the next time,” said a senior police officer.Incidentally, a smaller team of the demolition squad from KMC were deployed outside the building from the second day of the fire itself. But they could not enter since the flames were still not doused and the forensic team was yet to collect samples. All the while, the traders kept a close eye on their activities just to ensure they do not demolish any portion of the building. The completion of forensic inspection on Thursday cleared the ground for KMC.The forensic team had termed sections of the building “precarious” and their condition “a cause for concern” before recommending that KMC structural engineers pay special attention to sections of the first and second floors facing Canning Street.“Once the dangerous portions are pulled down and the rubble is removed, our officials will conduct a thorough inspection of the building with X-ray machines to assess its structural stability,” said a senior buildings department official.

Stay updated with all the Kolkata Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.