AT least four people were killed and dozens injured yesterday evening in a stampede at a university in southern India, local officials and media reported.

The stampede occurred at an outdoor auditorium in the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) in southwest Kerala state, where a concert had been planned.

In a statement on X, Kerala state governor Arif Mohammed Khan said he was “deeply shocked and grieved to know about the sad deaths 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 four people had been brought dead to the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital while four more were in critical condition, the PTI news agency reported, adding that more than 60 people had been injured.

A local police official said 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 PTI.

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. – AFP, November 26, 2023.