Akkulam flat residents relocate following sudden soil collapse; collector convenes meeting

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following deep excavation work for the construction of the Good Shepherd School building, the ground—including the road adjacent to the 14-story PRS Lakeville apartment complex in Akkulam—caved in. As the soil subsidence extended to within three meters of the apartment building, Collector Anju K.S. ordered relocation of all residents. This decision was made during a meeting held at the Collectorate on Tuesday afternoon.

The incident occurred after midnight on Monday. More than 65 families reside in the complex. Following the collapse, many residents moved to hotels or the homes of relatives that very night.

Meanwhile, revenue officials who inspected the site ruled out any immediate danger of the soil collapsing around the apartment. However, there are concerns that if the rains intensify, the road could suffer further subsidence and plunge to a depth of about 30 feet.

Representatives of the PRS Lakeville Apartment Owners' Association, officials from Shepherd School, and officers from various government departments attended the meeting. Measures to relocate the residents were initiated yesterday evening itself. The directive is to avoid occupancy in the apartments until the damaged road is reconstructed and the hazard is resolved. Following the District Collector's instructions, school authorities arranged temporary accommodation for the residents in hotels and apartments across locations such as Venpalavattom, Anayara, Enchakkal, Medical College, Karyavattom, and Kariyam. The residents vacated the apartments by last night.

A deep pit was excavated adjacent to the road near the apartment complex for the construction of a new building for Good Shepherd School. It is alleged that the construction proceeded without a proper assessment of soil stability. Consequently, the soil had already collapsed twice in recent months. Although assurances were given that a retaining wall would be built to prevent such collapses, the work was not carried out. Amidst this, shortly after midnight on Monday, a significant portion of the road—about half its width—collapsed with a loud noise amid heavy rainfall.

The apartment complex's security guard alerted the association office-bearers and other residents, and authorities subsequently issued a warning to the residents. Ward Councillor K.P. Bindu arrived at the scene and informed the authorities, leading to the arrival of the Sreekaryam police and the Fire Force. They assured residents that there was no need to panic and said evacuation was unnecessary. Out of the 78 apartments, only 65 are currently occupied. Vehicles parked in the area were moved to safer locations. Officials from various departments visited the site in the morning to conduct an inspection.