A three-storey building collapsed near Municipal Bus Stand in Palakkad on Thursday noon injuring at least seven people and triggering panic. No casualty has been reported so far. Those injured are said to be critical.
Police and fire personnel are still continuing rescue operation in the debris with the help of experts from disaster mitigation agencies on the suspicion that more people may be trapped inside the aged building. Locals told rescue officials that there were chances of eight to twenty people trapped in the building located in the busy junction.
Dstrict authorities said the building was not in a good condition. Other than a major restaurant, the building housed half a dozen shopping establishments and private financial firms.
The restaurant was under renovation for the last two weeks and only construction workers were present inside when the incident occurred. The accident might have occurred when attempts were made to replace an old pillar with a new one in the restaurant functioning on the ground floor, said police.
The incident had occurred at 1.15 p.m. Earthmovers are being used to clear the debris.