Kerala Chief Minister Pays Last Respects To Student Killed In Campus Stampede

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday paid his last respects to Sara Thomas, the student who died in a stampede during a tech-fest at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) in Kochi on Saturday.

Sara's body were brought to Alphonsa School Thamarassery where CM Pinarayi Vijayan and his colleagues in ministry paid their last respects.

The stampede happened during a music tech festival on Saturday evening. The four people who died were identified as Athul Thambi, native of Koothatukulam; Ann Ruftha from North Paravur; Sara Thomas from Thamarraserry; and Alwin Thaikattusherry. All three are second-year students except for Alwin, who is not a student at CUSAT.

According to the police, 16 injured people have been discharged from the hospital so far. Ministers P Rajeev and R Bindu visited the site of the incident on Sunday morning.

Kerala's Higher Education Minister, R Bindu directed the principal secretary of higher education and the varsity's vice chancellor to submit their inquiry reports on the incident.

"This happened around 6.50 p.m. When I arrived here, three to four students were taken to the hospital. It was drizzling. Students rushed in through the only entrance and due to steep steps, they fell over each other, leading to a stampede," Jalsan, an eyewitness to the whole situation at the university, said.

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