Kottayam, July 3 In a tragic incident at Kottayam Medical College and Hospital in Kerala, a 56-year-old woman lost her life after being buried under the debris of a collapsed building -- an incident allegedly worsened by miscommunication and delay in response attributed to two Kerala ministers.
The deceased, Bindhu, a resident of Thalayolaparambu, had accompanied her daughter to the hospital for a scheduled surgery. Her husband, Vishnu, later identified her body.
The collapse occurred around 10 a.m. on Thursday, when a three-storey hospital block, previously housing the surgery and allied departments, suddenly gave way with a deafening crash.
Upon receiving reports of the incident, State Health Minister Veena George and Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan rushed to the spot. After surveying the site, both ministers declared that the collapsed structure was an abandoned toilet block. It was no longer in use. They insisted that no one was trapped inside.
“This was a building long shut down. The toilet section collapsed, injuring two people, but their injuries are not serious,” George said.
Vasavan expressed the same claim, maintaining that the building had no link to active hospital wards.
However, moments later, cries from Bindhu’s daughter alerted others that someone might still be trapped.
Puthuppally MLA Chandy Oommen, son of late former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who was present at the scene, intervened and raised an alarm.
“This death could have been prevented if rescue efforts had started immediately,” Oommen said.
“I met patients who told me they were being discharged forcefully. One patient from Lakshadweep, awaiting surgery for weeks, has now been asked to leave following the collapse. That’s unjust,” he said.
Despite eyewitness accounts and Oommen's warnings, rescue operations began two hours later. Bindhu’s body was eventually recovered from the rubble and sent for a post-mortem.
Following the discovery, there were allegations that police attempted to restrict media access at the scene, further sparking outrage.
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