Kerala university stampede: 4 dead, 60 injured during singer Nikita Gandhi’s concert; probe ordered

Four students died and over 60 were injured in a stampede-like situation during the annual festival at Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) in Kerala on Saturday.

The incident took place during a concert by singer Nikita Gandhi. While all the injured students were rushed to the nearest Kalamassery Medical College for treatment, four students – two girls and two boys – were pronounced dead on arrival.

Here are the top updates on Kerala university stampede:

According to a civic official, the incident took place due to the same exit and the entrance to the auditorium where the concert was held. “Students who were entering the auditorium fell down the stairs and the crowd trampled them,” the official told news agency ANI.

The vice chancellor of the university said the stampede took place when it started raining. “The fest started yesterday. Various programmes have been arranged as part of the fest. Today, there was a musical programme. Students from neighbouring colleges also attended the programme. Unfortunately, the crowd was huge. More than 2,000 people came inside and there was a rush at the stairs,” he said.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday night expressed shock over the incident and ordered a probe. “Heartfelt condolences go out to the family members of the four students who lost their lives. Immediate and enhanced treatment facilities have been arranged for the injured. P. Rajeev, the Minister for Industries, and R. Bindu, the Minister of Higher Education, have departed for Ernakulam to assess the situation directly. A thorough investigation into the incident will commence without delay,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Kerala law minister P Rajeev visited the injured students in the hospital on Saturday night and said that four patients are in critical condition in the ICU. “We are trying our best to give the best treatment to them. The government has taken all steps to coordinate,” he told the media. The minister added that the university has conducted a preliminary inquiry, apart from the comprehensive inquiry ordered by the CM.

Meanwhile, Kerala higher education minister R Bindu said they are taking proper guidelines and measures to avoid such incidents in the future. “This is the first time a tragic incident occurred. So now we will find out the reasons and we’ll try to avoid incidents in the future,” she said.