Kozhikode: Three people were killed and two others suffered serious injuries after a concrete slab of a building owned by Kozhikode city corporation collapsed at Valiyangadi in Kozhikode town, near the old passport office on Monday. The deceased are headload workers Jabbar, Ashraf and Basheer. Corporation councillors confirmed the death toll. 

The trio were killed after getting trapped inside the building, according to officials of the Kozhikode Beach Fire Force.

The injured have been shifted to a hospital. The incident happened around 12 noon.

Fire and rescue personnel from the Kozhikode Beach Fire Force rushed to the spot soon after the incident and rescue operations are currently underway.

According to reports, the building is several decades old. Police and local residents initially took part in the rescue efforts before authorities asked people to move away from the accident site to ensure safety.

Police have cordoned off the area using ropes to prevent the public from approaching the site. The building housed several godowns. According to eyewitnesses, driver of a truck, a helper and three labourers were standing near the building when a heavy chunk of concrete sunshade came crashing down, trapping them underneath. The fire and rescue personnel sliced through the concrete blocks to retrieve four men who were trapped under the rubble. Two-wheelers parked at the site were also crushed under the impact.

Shopkeepers said that they have raised complaints about the dilapidated state of the building numerous times, but the corporation failed to act.

(To be updated)