In the wake of the collapse of a portion of a decades-old building at Valiyangadi, owned by the Kozhikode Corporation, that left four headload workers dead on Monday, Mayor O. Sadasivan on Tuesday announced an emergency aid of ₹1 lakh to the kin of the deceased and an amount of ₹50,000 to the families of the injured.
Addressing a press conference, he said that the Corporation council would take steps to ensure that the affected families receive all assistance and additional financial aid from the State government.
The incident occurred when the sunshade of the godown collapsed on them, triggering massive protest as workers and opposition led by the Congress, Indian Union Muslim League and BJP alleging negligence on the part of the Corporation authorities in ensuring the fitness of the building.
Mr. Sadasivan said the Council had decided to carry out a detailed investigation into the incident to determine the factors that led to the tragedy.
The Mayor sought a comprehensive report on the structural stability of all buildings owned by the civic body across the city. “Qualified engineers and technical experts will carry out special inspections to identify and address potential risks in all Corporation-owned buildings. Further measures concerning Corporation-owned buildings will be based on the findings of this inquiry,” he said.
The Mayor noted that the Corporation had already identified 16 buildings for reconstruction under a redevelopment initiative. He, however, clarified that the move to rebuild these structures did not imply that they had been officially declared unfit.
The building at Valiyangadi where the incident occurred was also among those identified for reconstruction. Although the Engineering department had found structural weakness in the building, it had not submitted a report declaring it unfit. Hence, existing tenants were allowed to continue their business operations, he said.
The Mayor pointed out that the Corporation had not received any prior complaints from councillors or traders regarding serious structural issues in the building where the collapse happened. He added that earlier technical advice had recommended constructing a new building at the site, which limited the scope for undertaking major repair works on the existing structure.
“It is not possible to abruptly label all these buildings as unfit, as such a decision would directly impact hundreds of traders operating on these premises. Any action must follow proper technical evaluation and due procedure,” Mr. Sadasivan said, adding that the civic body could not legally evict traders or shut down shops without formally declaring a building unsafe.
Meanwhile, the Corporation has initiated steps to evacuate the shops functioning in the collapsed building. A technical inspection found that the structure is in a dangerously dilapidated condition. In this context, Corporation secretary N.K. Hareesh has directed that goods be removed from the shops operating in the building and that the premises be vacated. A notice has also been pasted on the building in this regard.
Published – February 24, 2026 07:07 pm IST
