Kozhikode: A portion of an old building at the railway station collapsed on Thursday morning, triggering panic but causing no injuries after the area had already been barricaded ahead of its scheduled demolition.

The old clock tower on Platform No 2 came crashing down around 11 am. Fortunately, no passengers were present in the area as the Railways had restricted access and erected barricades in view of the planned demolition of the ageing structure.

The Kozhikode–Kannur passenger train, scheduled to depart at 2 pm, was stationed on Platform No 2 when the incident occurred. A portion of the debris fell onto the railway track, prompting railway authorities to begin clearance operations immediately.

According to railway officials, a team had inspected the building on Wednesday ahead of its planned demolition. The structure is suspected to have weakened further following heavy rain in the area, leading to its collapse on Thursday morning.

"We had already restricted passenger movement in the affected portion of the platform as part of the demolition preparations. That precaution prevented a major tragedy," a Railway Protection Force (RPF) official in Kozhikode said.

Railway personnel are working to remove the debris from the track and restore normal operations through Platform No 2. Authorities said the incident did not result in any casualties, and efforts are underway to ensure train services are not disrupted.

Rail traffic through platforms 1, 2 and 3 was affected due to the removal of debris. Platform no 4 remains operational. 

Railway authorities said the overhead electric lines (OHE) above Platforms 1 and 2 had been temporarily switched off to facilitate the safe removal of debris from the tracks and platform.

However, the railway authorities did not announce any specific delays to train services due to the incident.