Heavy rain causes building collapse in Kerala’s Kannur, major crack on newly built road in Kasaragod

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. A building that collapsed at Talap in Kannur on Tuesday following heavy rainfall | Photo Credit: S.K. Mohan Heavy rain continued to wreak havoc in Kannur and Kasaragod districts of Kerala on Tuesday, with a portion of an old building collapsing onto a busy road in Kannur and a major crack developing on a newly constructed road in Kasaragod. In Kannur, the rear portion and boundary wall of an old tiled building collapsed onto the road at Talap on LIC Road following incessant rain. No casualties or injuries were reported, but authorities carried out a search operation to ensure that nobody had been trapped under the debris. The collapse occurred at a pocket road located between the DCC office and the CPI(M) district committee office. Large quantities of debris fell onto the road, causing concern among residents and road users. A service centre was functioning in the building. Employees said the establishment had not opened for business at the time of the incident. Enquiries with migrant workers staying on the upper floor of the building also indicated that no one else was inside when the collapse occurred. A team led by District Fire and Rescue Services officer Arun Bhaskar conducted the search operations. Since the debris had fallen onto a road frequently used by pedestrians and vehicles, officials removed the rubble and carried out thorough checks to ensure that no one had been trapped. Mayor P. Indira and other officials also visited the site. Authorities said the remaining portion of the building continued to pose a threat and that steps would be taken to demolish the unstable structure. Ms. Indira noted that notices had been issued before the monsoon to owners of several dilapidated buildings identified as dangerous. However, enforcement actions were often delayed as many owners approached courts and obtained stay orders. In view of the continuing heavy rains, authorities said inspection of vulnerable structures would be intensified. Meanwhile, in Kasaragod, a major c