Century-old clock tower at Kerala's Kozhikode railway station collapses amid rain
The old Clock Tower at Kozhikode railway station collapsed following heavy rain in Kerala. The sudden collapse raised questions over safety measures around the structure.
A more than 100-year-old clocktower at the Kozhikode railway station in Kerala, which had been marked for demolition, collapsed on Thursday morning, police said. No one was injured in the incident.
Visuals aired on television channels after the collapse showed that more than half of the vertical section of the 20-25 metre-tall structure had fallen on to platform two. A Railway Police officer said there were no passengers on the platform at the time.
An officer at the Kozhikode Railway Police Station said the building had already been earmarked for demolition because of its poor condition. The sudden collapse, however, raised questions over safety measures around the structure.
Referring to the incident, CPI(M) MLA P A Mohamed Riyas said warning signs and barricades should have been put up around the building and called for a safety audit of similar old structures at railway stations across Kerala.
He alleged there was an "irresponsible conduct" on the part of the authorities and said it could have led to a major tragedy as thousands of passengers use the station.
"If cracks were noticed earlier, the authorities should have informed the public about its dangers and to be cautious. Secondly, barricades ought to have been set up. Besides that, staff should have been deployed to tell passengers to avoid the area. This is something that should have never happened. Its fortunate that no one was injured in the incident," he told reporters.
Riyas said there should be a safety audit of all such old structures at other railway stations in the state. "While constructing new buildings, we should also ensure the old ones are safe," he said. The clocktower collapse at the Kozhikode station did not cause any injuries, but it has prompted calls for better precautions around ageing railway structures.
A more than 100-year-old clocktower at the Kozhikode railway station in Kerala, which had been marked for demolition, collapsed on Thursday morning, police said. No one was injured in the incident.
Visuals aired on television channels after the collapse showed that more than half of the vertical section of the 20-25 metre-tall structure had fallen on to platform two. A Railway Police officer said there were no passengers on the platform at the time.
An officer at the Kozhikode Railway Police Station said the building had already been earmarked for demolition because of its poor condition. The sudden collapse, however, raised questions over safety measures around the structure.
Referring to the incident, CPI(M) MLA P A Mohamed Riyas said warning signs and barricades should have been put up around the building and called for a safety audit of similar old structures at railway stations across Kerala.
He alleged there was an "irresponsible conduct" on the part of the authorities and said it could have led to a major tragedy as thousands of passengers use the station.
"If cracks were noticed earlier, the authorities should have informed the public about its dangers and to be cautious. Secondly, barricades ought to have been set up. Besides that, staff should have been deployed to tell passengers to avoid the area. This is something that should have never happened. Its fortunate that no one was injured in the incident," he told reporters.
Riyas said there should be a safety audit of all such old structures at other railway stations in the state. "While constructing new buildings, we should also ensure the old ones are safe," he said. The clocktower collapse at the Kozhikode station did not cause any injuries, but it has prompted calls for better precautions around ageing railway structures.
