Tragedy Strikes Cusat Music Fest in Kochi: 4 Students Killed in Stampede

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Tragedy Strikes Cusat Music Fest in Kochi: Four Students Killed in Stampede

Kochi: In a devastating incident, four students, including two women, lost their lives in a stampede during a festival at Kerala’s Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) on Saturday evening. The incident occurred when heavy rain caused the waiting crowd to suddenly rush into an auditorium where singer Nikhita Gandhi was performing.

Along with the four fatalities, around 50 others were injured and rushed to the hospital, with four of them in critical condition. The entry to the event was restricted to pass-holders, but many students and others without passes had gathered on the campus, leading to overcrowding.

As more people rushed into the auditorium, some fell off the stairs, causing a chain reaction of people falling on top of each other. The lack of multiple exits worsened the crush, according to an eyewitness.

The tragedy unfolded during the concluding day of the fest, Dhishna, which attracted students from various tech colleges across the state. The event had not been conducted in the past three years due to the pandemic. The campus is located along a busy national highway, attracting motorists and passers-by who were keen to catch a glimpse of the event.

Authorities were not informed about the event, according to ADGP MR Ajith Kumar and city police commissioner A Akbar. The organisers failed to notify them, which could have allowed for better crowd management and security measures.

The deceased students have been identified as Athul Thampi, Ann Rufta, and Sarah Thomas. They were all students of Cusat. The victims were immediately rushed to the Ernakulam Government Medical College and a private hospital in the city.

ADGP Kumar expressed his shock over the incident, stating that the auditorium had a capacity of 1,000 to 1,500 people, and there was no reason for such a tragedy to occur under normal circumstances. He added that the auditorium was only partially filled, and the crowd outside was not significantly large.

The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, held an emergency meeting in Kozhikode and expressed his condolences for the students’ deaths. He assigned ministers P Rajeev and R Bindhu to coordinate various measures at the campus in Kalamassery.

Health Minister Veena George emphasized the need for surgical interventions and mobilized a team of surgeons from neighboring districts to assist at the Ernakulam Medical College.

The incident has raised concerns about crowd management and safety protocols during events. It is crucial for organizers to ensure proper communication with authorities and implement sufficient measures to prevent such tragic incidents in the future..