Kochi: Panic gripped the residents of an apartment complex at Panambilly Nagar in the heart of the city on Sunday as a column of the structure crumbled. The concrete of the L-section column spalled off, leaving steel rods bent and exposed.
The incident happened at RDS Avenue I tower at Panampilly Nagar. Residents found the damage as they checked the basement area after hearing a loud sound around 8 a.m.

Police, Fire and Rescue Services personnel, and an engineering team from the Kochi Corporation inspected the site after the residents alerted them. Based on expert opinion, the 24 families staying in the tower were evacuated. Thirty families stayed in the second tower on the complex.

Noted structural engineer Anil Joseph, who inspected the site at the request of the residents' association, recommended evacuation as an immediate measure, though he said the structural issue could be rectified. “The column has yielded due to either excess stress or strength deterioration. It is a rare case. However, the structure is stable with the rest of the columns remaining intact,” Anil told Onmanorama.
The structure is 19 years old. The decision on the rectification measures will be taken after further expert analyses. The Corporation has issued a stop memo for construction work in the complex.