The Kerala government on Saturday ordered a probe into the stampede that happened during Cochin University’s annual festival, where renowned singer Nikita Gandhi was to perform, killing four students and injuring 60 others, reported PTI.
A three-member team has been constituted by State Higher Education Minister R Bindhu to inquire about the incident. The team will comprise principal secretary of higher education, and Cochin University’s vice-chancellor and registrar, according to an official release.
The minister has instructed the officials to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a report, the release added.
The stampede occurred in the open-air auditorium of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) near Kochi.
Four students, including two boys and two girls, lost their lives, while over 60 others are undergoing treatment at Kalamassery Medical College Hospital and some other hospitals nearby, according to State Health Minister Veena George.
She added that four more students are critical.
In a Facebook post, the singer expressed heartbreak and said that the incident took place before she could even leave for the venue for the performance.
In a Facebook post, she wrote, “No words are possibly enough to express this profound grief. My prayers go out to the families of the students.”
ADGP M R Ajith Kumar stated that the audience rushed to the auditorium using the stairs when there was a sudden downpour, leading to a stampede and subsequent deaths.
He said that the festival was to be held from November 24-26 and the event was organised at an auditorium with a capacity of 1,000 to 1,500 people.
“It was partially filled. But when the rains lashed suddenly, the students rushed through the stairs, leading to the tragedy,” Kumar told reporters.
While initial reports suggested that the stampede occurred during the Nikitha Gandhi musical performance, officials later said that the singer had not begun her performance when the tragedy struck.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held an emergency meeting at a government guest house in Kozhikode following the incident. Vijayan, who chaired the meeting, later announced that all cultural and art events planned in connection with the ongoing Nava Kerala Sadas programme in the northern district on Sunday will be cancelled.
He also deputed ministers P Rajeev and R Bindhu to rush to the campus in Kalamassery to coordinate various measures.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
“Deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic stampede incident at the CUSAT university in Kochi that has claimed the lives of four students and left many injured,” Gandhi, an MP from Wayanad in Kerala, said in a Facebook post.
“My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May they find strength in this difficult time. I wish a speedy recovery to those injured, and I urge the govt of Kerala to provide them the best medical care,” he said.