Kozhikode (Kerala), February 23 Four people died after a 50-meter-long concrete slab at a building owned by the Kozhikode Corporation collapsed on load-bearing workers in Valiyangadi on Monday, police officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Jabbar, Ashraf, Basheer, and Vinod, who were working as laborers at the two-story building owned by the Kozhikode Corporation in Valiyangadi.
According to police, Jabbar, Ashraf, and Basheer died shortly after being taken to the hospital.
Vinod died at the hospital later in the day.
The police said another person, identified as Abdul Jaleel, sustained serious injuries and was admitted to the hospital.
The police said the incident occurred at noon, when a 50-meter-long concrete slab of the sunshade collapsed on the workers while they were resting in front of a closed shop after loading work.
Police and the Kozhikode Corporation have launched an investigation into the incident.
The Kozhikode Town police have registered a case for unnatural death in the incident.
Soon after the incident, BJP councillors staged a protest at the Kozhikode Corporation office and the Mayor's office.
Opposition parties alleged that the building, owned by the LDF-ruled Kozhikode Corporation, was unsafe for operation because it had been constructed over 70 years ago.
"The previous council had declared the building unsafe and decided to demolish it. However, there were still shops and warehouses operating in the building," the BJP councillors said, alleging that the deaths occurred due to the negligence of the Corporation.
They demanded that a case of culpable homicide be registered against Mayor O Sadasivan.
The protesting councillors were later removed by the police from the Corporation office.
Later, the Congress and the Youth League, affiliated with the Muslim League, held separate protest marches to the Kozhikode Corporation office.
Police registered separate cases against the protesters.
