Building collapse: Kozhikode Corporation sets aside internal report, seeks NIT-C safety audit

The Kozhikode Corporation has decided to set aside a report prepared by its Town Engineering wing on the collapse of a portion of an old building at Valiyangadi that claimed four lives. Instead, it will entrust the National Institute of Technology-Calicut (NIT-C) with a thorough inspection of buildings owned by the civic body.

Mayor O. Sadasivan, who chaired the council meeting on Tuesday (March 10, 2026) morning, said that once the NIT-C report is received, buildings earmarked for demolition will be razed, while those requiring reinforcement will be strengthened and maintained.

The safety audit of 22 Corporation-owned buildings within the city limits was initiated after the incident. The report was prepared by an engineering team led by Superintending Engineer K.N. Bijoy under the direction of Corporation secretary N.K. Hareesh.

According to the audit, seven buildings were identified as completely unfit for use and recommended for demolition. A further seven were recommended for demolition pending additional inspection by the Superintending Engineer. Besides these, five buildings were slated for annual maintenance, and three were recommended for expert inspection by NIT-C or the Government Engineering College, Kozhikode.

The Mayor added that decisions should not be made solely based on reports from engineers attached to the Corporation office, stating that inspections by independent institutions such as NIT-C would be more transparent and reliable. The council approved the proposal.

The buildings initially recommended for demolition included the site of the recent slab collapse in Valiyangadi, as well as structures in Puthiyangadi Market, Karaparamba, Puthiyara, Cherooty Road, West Hill, and Triveni.

The council also decided to renew the licences of traders at the Karaparamba and Puthiyangadi fish market buildings, originally marked for demolition, provided their previous licences had expired. Renewals will be granted after obtaining a formal affidavit from the traders.

Meanwhile, UDF Council party leader S.V. Mohammed Shameel questioned why the State government had yet to announce compensation for the four workers who died in the accident, despite two weeks having passed since the incident.