Kochi: A major accident occurred at Thammanam early on Monday morning after the wall of a Kerala Water Authority (KWA) drinking water storage tank collapsed. However, no causalities were reported, said officials. 

The tank, with a capacity of 1.35 crore litres, gave way around 3 am. Water gushed into about ten houses located behind the reservoir, damaging walls and flooding the area. Several vehicles, including autorickshaws and two-wheelers, were swept away and sustained damage in the incident. Nearby roads were also destroyed.

The drinking water supply will be disrupted in many parts of the Kochi Corporation limits, including Tripunithura and Pettah, as authorities cannot repair the collapsed tank within a day.

Talking to Manorama News, MLA Uma Thomas said a major tragedy was averted as residents here were asleep. Preliminary observations suggest that the water gushed out with great force, like a water bomb. According to officials, an overflow from the tank is suspected as the cause of the explosion. They added that there is no machanism to assess the overflow. 

The collapsed structure was a water storage facility under the 45th division of the Kochi Corporation. The tank, more than 40 years old, had stored around 1.15 crore litres of water at the time of the collapse. It is alleged that maintenance lapses led to the accident.

The Thammanam reservoir had two chambers, and it was the wall of one chamber that collapsed. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning, and residents realised the gravity of the situation only after their homes were already flooded.

Water flowed onto nearby roads, sweeping along vehicles and debris. Officials and people's representatives have since reached the site to assess the situation.