A section of the Valiyathura Pier crumbled on Friday morning, splitting the bridge-like structure into two structurally-unsound sections.
Constructed in 1956 to replace an older pier, the 214-m-long concrete structure had been off-limits to visitors as it was regarded as unsafe.
No one was on the pier when a large section, weakened by the constant battering of the waves, broke off around 8 a.m. and crashed into the water, according to local residents. This has left a large part of the pier inaccessible from the land. “Pieces began raining down. The parts of the pier which are still standing are also weak and could go down soon,” Lawrence, a Valiyathura resident, said.
