CUSAT (Cochin University of Science and Technology) annual festival turns into a nightmare with crowds overflowing causing a stampede in the campus.

The incident occurred at around 7 PM during one of concert of singer Nikita Gandhi as a part of the fest, ‘Dhishna”, by CUSAT at Kalamessery in Kochin. 4 students have been killed and 61 have been reportedly injured.

M R Ajithkumar, an additional director general of police (law and order), stated that eyewitness accounts indicated the stampede happened as students hurried inside the arena after it started to rain. Many students went down the steps that led to the auditorium and fell.

When the four students, two girls and two boys, were taken to a hospital, they were already dead. Three of them, namely Athul Thampi, Ann Rufta, and Sandra Thomas, were second-year engineering students.

CUSAT management to blame?

Following COVID, the tech fest was taking place three years after it had last. The dates of the event were set for November 24–26. Workshops, talks, and technical displays were all included in the program.

The majority of the participants were engineering school students. A black t-shirt and college identity cards served as the basis for the entry. There were also rumors that several citizens and students from other schools attempted to enter the event, which is what caused the chaos.

The capacity of the auditorium was around 1,500. It was unknown how many students were present in the auditorium when the incident occurred.

Rushing to the scene was a group of ministers headed by Minister of Industries P Rajeeve and Minister of Higher Education R Bindu.

Pinarayi Vijayan, the chief minister of Kerala, expressed shock over the incident on Saturday night and ordered an investigation.

“Our deepest sympathies are extended to the families of the four pupils who departed from this life. For the injured, improved and immediate treatment facilities have been set up. The Ministers of Industries, P. Rajeev, and Higher Education, R. Bindu, have left for Ernakulam to personally evaluate the situation. He said on X (formerly Twitter) that “a thorough investigation into the incident will commence without delay.”

“We are making every effort to provide them with the best care possible. Kerala Law Minister P Rajeev stated, “The government has taken all necessary steps to coordinate.”

In addition, he mentioned that the institution had carried out an initial investigation in addition to the necessary thorough investigation as ordered by the CM.

More students in Hospitals, Dead bodies in CUSAT

Thirty-eight patients remained in different hospitals, two of them in a private hospital in a critical condition.

Seventy in all were taken to medical facilities close to the institution, including Kalamassery’s Government Medical College. According to a medical update on the incident, three of them remained in the medical college’s intensive care unit, while 31 are in wards and two are in a private hospital in critical condition.

The public was invited to pay their respects to the bodies of three students who died in a stampede at the Inter University TechFest venue in Kalamassery on Saturday by coming to the School of Engineering auditorium at the Cusat campus.

A shadow of doom has settled over the campus as hundreds of students swarmed the venue. While the police and university officials organize to manage the gathering, the students will now be permitted to see their friends.
Earlier, district collector NSK Umesh, senior police officers, and ministers P. Rajeeve and R. Bindu paid a visit to the college.

Singer Nikhita Gandhi Condemns

The grisly killing of four students in a stampede during singer Nikhita Gandhi’s music concert in Kochi on Saturday left her “heartbroken” and “devastated”.

Gandhi tweeted his sympathies and described the tragedy as “unfortunate” on Instagram.

“Heartbroken and devastated by what took place this evening in Kochi. Such an unfortunate incident took place before I could even leave for the venue for the performance. No words are possibly enough to express this profound grief. My prayers go out to the families of the students,” she wrote.