Overview

• Statewide protests entered a second day as Congress and BJP activists clashed with police over delayed search efforts after the collapse of an aging toilet block at Kottayam Medical College Hospital.
• Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan highlighted a 2012 CAG report that flagged structural instability at the hospital, accusing the government of nine years of inaction.
• Opposition parties are demanding an independent judicial probe, rejecting the district collector’s inquiry as inadequate, while the CPI(M) youth wing DYFI vowed to defend Minister Veena George.
• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan pledged to strengthen safety protocols across public hospitals and assured support for the victim’s family before departing abroad for medical treatment.
• Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan denied any delay in rescue efforts, saying machinery access caused the lag, a claim challenged by eyewitnesses and opposition leaders.