(UnitedHeadlines.com) – A stampede at a music festival in Kerala, India, on Nov. 25 killed four students and injured more than 64.
Students had gathered on the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) campus to watch Nikhita Gandhi, a Bollywood singer, perform. According to a local government official, a single gate was used as an entrance and exit. When it began raining, people waiting outside rushed into the auditorium, causing the stampede. Some of the students fell on the steps that led to the gate and were then trampled by the crowd. According to a university employee, some attendees fell off the auditorium stairs, and others fell and landed upon them.
Two girls and two boys were declared dead at the scene. Sixty-four students were injured in the stampede and transported to area hospitals, including Kalamassery Medical College Hospital. At least five of the students remain in critical condition in the ICU. More than 100 ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
In a post on Instagram, Gandhi stated that she was “heartbroken and devastated” by the stampede. She added that the “unfortunate incident” occurred “before I could even leave for the venue for the performance.” She offered prayers to the families of the students.
Kerala state governor Arif Mohammed Khan posted a statement on Twitter saying he was “deeply shocked” by the incident. He added that he “grieved” about “the sad demise” of the four students killed at the event. He sent his “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the students.
Kerala’s chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that “the entire state is in shock” at the events that happened Nov. 25. Vijayan added that a thorough investigation into the circumstances that caused the stampede would be conducted.
This is not the first deadly stampede to occur in India. In central Madhya Pradesh state, at least 115 people were killed a decade ago on the sidelines of a religious festival.
Copyright 2023, UnitedHeadlines.com
