Kanhangad: A 10-metre-high retaining wall under construction at CSI Christ Church in Kanhangad collapsed amid incessant rain on Thursday, with four workers narrowly escaping injury.
The wall, built using rounded laterite stones, gave way around 2.15 pm while work was in progress. “There were four workers on top of the wall, but they moved away after noticing signs that it was giving way,” said Rajeev Lazar, a Diocesan Council member.
The church shares a boundary with Upper Basel Mission Church (UBMC) Aided Lower Primary School, with both institutions facing TB Road in Kanhangad town. “Although the school is adjacent to the church, no students were near the wall when it collapsed,” Lazar said.
The laterite stones crashed onto the pocket road separating the church compound from Maitri Nagar colony behind it. A major accident was averted as there were no pedestrians or vehicles passing through the road at the time.
The workers had been constructing the wall for the past six months. “There is very little working space, so only three or four workers could work on it at a time,” Lazar said.
Preliminary assessments suggest that continuous rain in the past two days caused water to accumulate in the soil behind the wall, building up pressure until the structure gave way. A substantial section of the wall collapsed, sending stones and debris onto the road below.
A car parked near a neighbouring house was damaged after being struck by the falling stones.
CCTV footage of the collapse has surfaced, capturing the dramatic moment the wall gave way and highlighting how narrowly a tragedy was avoided.
The church has begun clearing the debris and plans to rebuild the wall immediately. “We expect the road to be cleared by tomorrow,” Lazar said on Friday.
