Kozhikode (Kerala) | Four people died after a 50-metre-long concrete slab at a Kozhikode Corporation-owned building collapsed on head-load workers at Valiyangadi here on Monday, police officials said.

The deceased have been identified as Jabbar, Ashraf, Basheer and Vinod who were engaged in loading work at the two-storied building owned by the Kozhikode Corporation in Valiyangadi.

According to police, Jabbar, Ashraf and Basheer died soon after they were

rushed to the hospital.

Vinod died at the hospital later in the day.

The police said another person, identified as Abdul Jaleel, sustained serious injuries and was admitted to the hospital.

Police said the incident occurred at noon, when a 50-metre-long concrete slab of the sunshade collapsed on the workers while they were resting in front of a closed shop after loading work.

Police and the Kozhikode Corporation have launched a probe into the incident.

Kozhikode Town police registered a case for unnatural death in the incident.

Soon after the incident, the BJP councillors staged a protest at the Kozhikode Corporation office and the Mayor’s office.

Opposition parties alleged that the building, owned by the LDF-ruled Kozhikode Corporation, was unfit for operation because it had been constructed over 70 years ago.

"The last council had declared the building unfit and decided to dismantle it. But there were shops and godowns still operating in the building," the BJP councillors said, alleging that the deaths occurred due to the negligence of the Corporation.

They demanded that a case of culpable homicide be registered against Mayor O Sadasivan.

The protesting councillors were later removed by the police from the Corporation office.

Later, the Congress and the Youth League, affiliated to the Muslim League, held separate protest marches to the Kozhikode Corporation office.

Police registered separate cases against the protesters.