The 60-meter high 19-storey building, known as "Holy Faith H20, was levelled in seconds in a spectacular implosion. Thousands of people watched the demolition from outside the evacuation zone. A total of 343 waterfront flats were built in the complexes, violating the Coastal Regulation Zone norms.
Watch | Kochi: Illegally constructed Waterfront apartments demolished
The Apex Court had in September 2019 directed demolition of the apartment complexes within 138 days, a time line given by the Kerala government.
The district administration has imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in the 200-meter radius of the apartment complexes.
The orders came into effect at 9 am and it will continue till the authorities conduct an inspection and declare the place safe for people to return.
Half an hour before the implosion, which is scheduled for 11 am, a first siren was sounded for one whole minute. The siren will warn people and ensure that they have left the demolition zone. A police team will then search the evacuation area.
(With inputs from agencies)