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The Kozhikode City Corporation has ordered a comprehensive structural safety audit of all corporation-owned buildings in Kozhikode, Kerala, following the collapse of part of a decades-old municipal structure in the Valiyangadi market area that killed four head-load workers and injured a fifth. The directive was issued by Mayor O Sadasivan, who also sought a detailed report into the circumstances leading to the tragic accident. The incident has triggered protests by traders and political parties over alleged neglect of ageing civic infrastructure. Shop owners were instructed to vacate the dilapidated building, and officials said technical inspections had confirmed its unsafe condition. The move aims to avert similar disasters by identifying and remedying structural vulnerabilities across the city's portfolio of older public properties.
The Kozhikode City Corporation has initiated a city-wide structural audit of all corporation-owned buildings after a section of an old municipal structure in Valiyangadi collapsed earlier in the week, killing four head-load workers and injuring another. The corporation's mayor, O Sadasivan, said the order was aimed at ensuring the safety and integrity of public assets following widespread concern over the management of ageing civic infrastructure. Advertisement
The tragedy unfolded when a concrete sunshade slab from a five-decade-old corporation building fell on workers who were resting beneath it, prompting immediate evacuation of nearby shops and heightened scrutiny of similar structures. Local traders have protested, accusing authorities of neglecting repeated warnings about the building's deteriorating condition.
Mayor Sadasivan defended the corporation's record, stating that plans to rebuild 16 ageing municipal buildings, including the one that collapsed, were formulated as early as 2022. However, he said that social considerations, including the presence of hundreds of traders operating from these premises, had previously delayed evictions and demolition. He indicated that a comprehensive structural audit was now necessary to definitively assess safety risks across the portfolio of civic properties.
In announcing the audit, the mayor said he had sought a detailed technical report on the collapse and that qualified engineers and technical experts would inspect all corporation-owned buildings to identify potential structural weaknesses. The move comes amid mounting public pressure and demands for accountability after the fatal incident.
Officials have also begun the process of vacating the collapsed structure, with shop owners instructed to remove their belongings as the building was confirmed to be in a dilapidated state following technical assessment. Notices were posted on site ordering evacuation, and traders were urged to comply for safety reasons.
The State Human Rights Commission has intervened, directing that all old and structurally unsafe buildings owned by government, semi-government and local self-government institutions be inspected and renovated urgently to prevent similar tragedies. It also asked the corporation secretary and district collector to submit a report on the incident within a week.
Political protests have continued in the wake of the collapse, with parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian Union Muslim League staging demonstrations and traders temporarily closing shops in solidarity with the victims families. The disruption included delays in goods unloading by incoming trucks at the busy Valiyangadi market, underscoring the wider economic impact of the incident.
The structural audit directive is expected to cover all municipal buildings, particularly those of advanced age, and will inform decisions on repairs, retrofitting or potential demolition to mitigate risks associated with structural decay. The city corporation has said it will act on audit findings to safeguard public safety and prevent recurrence of such accidents.
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