Kochi: At least four students died and over 60 were injured in a stampede situation during a concert at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), in Kerala on Saturday.

According to media reports, the incident unfolded at the open-air auditorium of the university, where the School of Engineering's annual tech fest, 'Dhishna,' was underway since Friday. P K Baby, the Director of Students Welfare, informed the media that the stampede occurred when the audience surged forward from the backside of the auditorium, leading to chaos.

"Four persons were brought dead to Kalamassery Medical College," confirmed Kerala Health Minister Veena George in a press release.

Aravind K S, a third-year integrated MSc student of CUSAT, who narrowly escaped the stampede, highlighted the failure in crowd control as the root cause of the tragedy. "I was standing right next to the gate that leads into the auditorium," Aravind said, recounting the events. The program was scheduled to start at 6:45 pm, and volunteers were slowly letting students inside. However, around 7 pm, someone abruptly opened the gate, causing a surge in the crowd. The result was a cascade effect, with students at the front being pushed from the back, leading to tripping and falling on the steps.

Aravind emphasized that the crowd comprised mainly 2nd and 3rd-year students, and the event was managed by students of these batches who lacked experience in crowd control. "They didn't have any idea how to control the crowd, and that was the main reason behind the tragedy," he said. According to him, all campus events are organized by students, with teachers not actively involved in such management.

This unfortunate incident has raised concerns about event management and crowd control protocols at educational institutions, prompting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the stampede.