Kerala: Stampede at CUSAT fest; 4 dead, several injured
At least four people including three students lost their lives at a stampede during a song festival held as part of Tech Fest at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) in Ernakulam.
FollowKochi: In an appalling incident, at least four people including three students lost their lives in a stampede during a song festival held as part of Tech Fest at the Cochin University of Science and Technology in Ernakulam. It is reported that 72 people were injured during the incident and were admitted to Kalamassery Medical College Hospital.
The deceased have been identified as Athul Thambi (Civil second-year student), a Koothatukulam native, Ann Ruftha (second year student) from North Paravur, Sara Thomas (second year student) from Thamarassery and Albin Joseph from Mundoor, Palakkad. The postmortem will be carried out on Sunday (Nov 26) at 7 am. Mortal remains of the students will be kept for the public to pay respects in the CUSAT campus immediately after the post-mortem is over.
According to initial reports, students within the Cochin University campus were in the midst of a live musical performance featuring the renowned singer Nikita Gandhi. The event was abruptly disrupted by unexpected rainfall, causing the audience to hurriedly seek shelter.
While one died on the way to the hospital, the other three succumbed to injuries soon after reaching the hospital. Two dead bodies are kept at Kalamassery Medical College and two at Ernakulam General Hospital.
The School of Engineering organized the fest, which commenced on Friday and saw the participation of around 2000 students. The accident occurred in the open-air auditorium when rain prompted people outside to rush inside. Tragically, the incident unfolded as students fell from the steps during the rush into the auditorium.
The district collector said that the condition of two students was critical and had been shifted to Aster Medicity Hospital. Health Minister Veena George has ordered health workers, including doctors, to come to work at Kalamasery Medical College and Ernakulam General Hospital. Private hospitals have also been instructed to be on standby. Adequate preparations have been directed for 108 ambulances to ensure swift emergency response and transportation. The minister said that a team of doctors from the Department of Surgery and Orthopedics at Thrissur Medical College will soon arrive in Ernakulam.
Meanwhile, following the incident, the ministers P Rajeev and R Bindu returned to Kalamassery from Nava Kerala Sadas.
