WATCH: High-rise buildings blown up over court orders

Authorities in India demolished two high-rise buildings in a posh area of the Kerala state through controlled explosions aimed at implementing the apex court orders against illegal structures, violating environmental rules.

Two luxury waterfront high-rises in southern India including the 19-floor H2O Holy Faith complex of 90 flats – overlooking Kerala state’s famous lush backwaters – and Twin Towers of Alfa Serene were reduced to rubble in seconds using controlled explosions.

The H2O Holy Faith complex was the first one to go down followed by the Twin Towers of Alfa Serene.

Videos and Images of the demolition have emerged as the onlookers who flocked to nearby terraces and roads captured the moments.

The nearby areas were cordoned-off and evacuated along with aerial surveillance and standby ambulances and firefighters present on the occasion to deal with any untoward incident.

Although no one was harmed during the incident, some neighbours complained that cracks have appeared in their buildings soon after the demolition process, raising severe safety concerns.

The inhabitants of the demolished high rise buildings bought their 343 flats in good faith and now face a lengthy legal fight to recoup their money. Some had invested their life savings.

They initially refused to vacate but moved out after local authorities cut water and power supplies. An interim partial compensation was given by the state government to be followed by a refund from builders.

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India has seen a construction boom in recent years but developers have often ridden roughshod over safety and other regulations, with the connivance of local officials.

The issue of illegal constructions came to light after the state was battered by its worst floods in almost a century in 2018 that killed more than 400 people. The top court in the country was then moved over the issue that declared the constructions as illegal and ordered the authorities to vacate and demolish them.