Over 25 injured as building under construction collapses in Kozhikode district

Panchayat to conduct inquiry into mishap at Markaz Knowledge City

An excavator removing debris from the site of an under-construction building that collapsed injuring several labourers at Thamarassery in Kozhikode district on Monday. 

Over 25 labourers were injured when a building under construction collapsed at the Markaz Knowledge City near Thamarassery in Kozhikode district on Tuesday.

According to sources, 24 persons were admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital with different type of injuries and some others to a private hospital in Kozhikode city. Some of them were earlier taken to the taluk hospital, Thamarassery. The incident happened at 11.50 a.m. when the concrete reinforcement of the second floor of the building was going on. In the process, the first floor is also reported to have collapsed. The land earlier was a rubber plantation.

Markaz Knowledge City is being built by a trust run by the Sunni faction of Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar.

Alex Thomas, president of the Kodenchery grama panchayat, said that the local body would conduct an inquiry into the incident. Construction companies have been told to take precautions to avoid similar incidents, Mr. Thomas said.

‘Precautions taken’

Meanwhile, Abdul Salam, chief executive officer, Markaz Knowledge City, told the media that construction works had been going on there for the past 10 years and all the precautions and quality control measures had been taken. He claimed that within 10 minutes of the incident, the labourers were given first aid treatment and taken to hospital.

Mr. Salam said that the injuries were not of a serious nature. “We take responsibility for their care and rehabilitation and ensure that similar incidents do not recur,” he said.