Massive gate at renovated Kaloor stadium collapses, autorickshaw escapes narrowly; GCDA orders inspection

Kochi: A massive iron gate installed at the entrance of the renovated Kaloor International Stadium compound collapsed on Friday evening, narrowly missing an autorickshaw that was passing by, triggering safety concerns about the recently installed structure. 

The incident occurred around 5.30 pm at the entrance to the stadium from Banerji Road. Eyewitnesses said the heavy gate crashed onto the road just moments after an autorickshaw passed through the entrance, allowing the vehicle to escape by a whisker.

The gates were installed on the roads to the stadium recently as part of the renovation works. The entrance has two large gate panels on either side, and the panel on the side connecting the stadium to the nearby metro station was the one that collapsed.

Security personnel later cordoned off the area with barricades to prevent accidents. Several people, including stadium security staff, attempted to lift and move the fallen gate to the roadside, but were unable to shift it due to its heavy weight. 

Sources in the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), which owns the stadium, said the gate may have collapsed after it was pushed beyond its permitted opening limit. "The gates remained open as usual. It is learnt that a security guard tried to open it further by pushing it hard, which led to the hinges breaking and the gate collapsing," a GCDA official said.

Officials said an engineering team from GCDA will inspect the site on Saturday to determine the exact cause of the incident. The newly installed gates are meant primarily for crowd control during major events, including cricket and football matches held at the stadium.

The collapse has raised questions about the durability and safety of the newly installed infrastructure at the stadium, which had recently undergone renovation works. No injuries were reported in the incident.