Maradu demolition spectacle attracts ‘tourists’

Many have come armed with selfie sticks, cameras, and pollution masks

January 12, 2020 12:37 am | Updated November 28, 2021 11:48 am IST - Kochi

Jaseerah C. and her family travelled over 160 km from Malappuram to Kochi on Saturday morning just to join the thousands who watched the two flats come crashing down.

“We were anxious about the implosion and if something would go wrong. But the entire scene was worth the travel,” said Jaseerah, who stood with her husband and son, right behind the point where the Kundannoor-Thevara bridge was cordoned off.

While her husband, who was interested in the implosion, was keen on staying in the city till the two other flats were razed on Sunday, the family decided to leave on Saturday evening.

From across State

Families with children in tow arrived from across the State to watch the implosion, with thousands of people armed with selfie sticks, cameras, and pollution masks, thronging the road leading to the bridge and the adjoining service road.

Related content  

The crowd whooped and whistled when the third siren announced the impending implosion at H2O Holy Faith, and rapidly retreated when a large cloud of dust engulfed the area.

Some onlookers such as Madhu A.S. were regular commuters along the route who were accustomed to seeing the flats.

“We are unlikely to see something of this sort again – such a large building being pulled down,” he said. Echoing similar sentiments, James, a retired naval employee and octogenarian from near Thripunithura, arrived two hours ahead of the implosion, to ensure he found a spot to watch it.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.