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A 56-year-old woman was killed and two others were injured after a portion of the Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam, Kerala, collapsed around 10.45 am on Thursday, July 3. The collapse occurred in the bathroom area behind wards 14 and 11, part of a building that authorities claimed were not in active use.
The deceased was identified as Bindu, a resident of Thalayolaparambu in Kottayam district. According to Deccan Herald, her body was discovered under the debris nearly two hours after the collapse.
Initially, Health Minister Veena George claimed there were no serious injuries. “The construction of a new building for this block has been completed, and the shifting from this building has already begun. Two people suffered injuries, which are not very serious,” she said, according to India Today.
Cooperation Minister VN Vasavan also echoed the statement that the structure was not in use and, therefore, no major casualties were expected. However, shortly after their statements, Bindu’s body was recovered from under the debris.
Allegations have surfaced that the rescue operation was delayed based on the assumption that no one was trapped. Local residents claimed there were no warning signs posted around the deteriorating building and that the washroom was still being used regularly by hospital visitors.
The incident comes amid heightened concerns over infrastructure safety in Kerala. Just six days earlier, a two-storey building in Thrissur, housing migrant workers, collapsed, killing at least two people.
The Kottayam tragedy has also coincided with growing criticism of Kerala’s healthcare system, with a senior doctor from Thiruvananthapuram Medical College recently going public about severe delays in the supply of surgical equipment.