'We tried pulling them out with bare hands': Kozhikode headload workers recall horrific moments after building collapse

Kozhikode: A regular, busy day at Valiyangadi market near the beach in Kozhikode turned tragic in a matter of seconds on Monday. Shreds of loose concrete began falling off the old building, moments before a massive concrete sunshade gave way, crashing down on five head-load workers who were sitting and standing under the veranda. Four of them — Ashraf, Basheer, Abbas and Vinod — were killed, while the other one, Jaleel, was injured.

"It was around 11 am. With Ramzan season, all of us were busy loading and shifting goods like rice and groceries from godowns to shops," recalled Abdul Samad, a worker in the area. "We noticed a small portion of the corporation-owned decades-old building was crumbling, and some of us managed to run. But Ashraf, Jabbar, Basheer, Vinod and Jaleel were working under the sunshade. Suddenly, the concrete slab fell down. Three of them were completely trapped," he said.

Within moments, nearly 20 workers in different parts of the market rushed to the spot and began removing the heavy slabs with their bare hands. "It was horrific. We tried our maximum to pull them out," he said.

The sunshade portion above four shops collapsed together, crushing the workers and five scooters parked nearby. Eyewitnesses said those under the verandah had no time to escape once the structure gave way.

Muhammed Aslam, owner of a nearby shop, said when he reached the spot, the victims' heads and legs were visible beneath the concrete. "Many of us tried to lift the slabs, but they were too heavy. Two were pulled out within minutes, but others could be taken out only after Fire and Rescue Services personnel arrived," he said.

Alavi, another headload worker, said the resting spot in the shade of a tree was usually crowded, especially during Ramzan. "Fortunately, not many were there at that moment. Otherwise, the toll could have been higher. The scooters were completely crushed. You can then imagine the force of the collapse," he said.

Workers said they immediately alerted the police and Fire and Rescue Services. In the meantime, local youths stepped in to take the injured to the Government Beach Hospital nearby.

Mubasheer, a staff member of a nearby insurance firm, said he rushed one of the injured, Abbas, to the hospital in his car. "He was alive when we placed him in the car. But when we reached the hospital, there was no one to assist immediately. There were no stretchers, and I struggled to carry him inside with the help of others. The doctor later told us he had already died," he said.

Soon after, Ishan, an employee of an event management firm in the area, took another victim, Ashraf, to the hospital in an ambulance. He said they too faced delays in getting immediate attention. "We feel that if the injured had received prompt treatment, at least some lives might have been saved," he said, sitting silently on the veranda of the hospital along with Mubasheer, still shaken by the morning's events.