Popular Bollywood playback singer Nikhita Gandhi expressed shock and grief over the stampede in Kochi's CUSAT campus that claimed four lives and left over 40 people injured. The accident took place minutes before Nikhita's musical concert which was organised as part of the Tech Fest at the campus on Saturday night.
“ Heartbroken & devastated by what took place this evening in Kochi. Such an unfortunate incident took place before I could even leave for the venue for the performance. No words are possible enough to express this profound grief. My prayers go out to the families of the students,” Nikhita wrote on her Instagram page.
Four, including three second-year engineering students, were killed in the stampede. According to reports, the students who were standing on the steps in front of the main gate to the auditorium fell down when a crowd rushed to the venue forcing the gate open. It is learnt that the mob trampled those who fell from the steps leaving four dead and several injured. The accident took place around 7 pm on Saturday at the open auditorium inside the CUSAT campus.
Police said the lapses in the arrangements to control the crowd led to the tragedy. Thrikkakkara police have launched a detailed investigation after recording statements of the witnesses.
