4 dead, dozens injured in stampede at south Indian university

At least four people were killed and 60 others injured on Saturday evening in a stampede at a university in southern India, local officials and media reported.

The disaster happened at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) in the southwest state of Kerala where students were enjoying a live musical event that was interrupted by rain, leading the audience to scamper for shelter that resulted in a stampede.

A local police official said that a crowd outside the auditorium had rushed to seek cover from a sudden downpour when a number of people slipped on some stairs and were subsequently trampled, according to the PTI news agency.

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Kerala state governor Arif Mohammed Khan said he was “deeply shocked and grieved to know about the sad demise of four students” at CUSAT.

“Heartfelt condolences to their families. Prayers for speedy recovery of injured,” he added.

State Health Minister Veena George said in a statement that four people had been brought dead to the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital while four more were in critical condition, adding that more than 60 people had been injured.

Death toll at 115 in stampede outside temple in Madhya Pradesh, India

Pinarayi Vijayan, the top elected official in Kerala, said he had ordered an investigation.

One of the deadliest stampedes in recent history occurred a decade ago in India, when at least 115 people were killed on the sidelines of a religious festival in central Madhya Pradesh state.