Earth cave-in at Akkulam: Collector halts school building construction, orders evacuation of adjacent flat residents

District Collector Anju K.S. has issued orders halting the construction of a building of Good Shepherd School at Akkulam in Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam, and for urgent evacuation of residents of the adjacent PRS Lake Villa apartments after removal of soil on the school compound had led to a cave-in.

The earth caved in barely 4 m from the apartments early Tuesday (October 13, 2026). A boundary wall was completely destroyed and a 50-m stretch of the road in front of the apartment collapsed.

The order from the District Collector, who is also the district disaster management authority chairperson, said an investigation had found that the school authorities removed the earth unscientifically, without adopting safety measures or building a retaining wall according to permit stipulations.

The Thiruvananthapuram tahsildar, Corporation Secretary, and the District Police Chief were tasked with relocating the apartment residents. The residents’ association has been directed to hand over to the village officer a list of the families who need to be shifted. The accommodation for the families should be arranged by the school.

Construction of the school building has been ordered to stop until the site where the earth caved in is fortified and any danger to the apartment is completely eliminated.

The school authorities should submit a proposal to eliminate any hazards and this must be inspected and approved by the Public Works, Soil Conservation, Mining and Geology departments and the Corporation.

The order directed the Corporation Secretary to examine whether the construction had been carried out in accordance with the permit and the district geologist to investigate whether soil had been removed beyond the permitted limit and initiate legal action.