CUSAT stampede: Expert panel visits campus for investigation

An expert panel has visited the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) campus to investigate the stampede that took place on November 22, 2023, in which two people were killed and several others were injured.

The panel, which is headed by retired justice B. Kemal Pasha, will meet with students, faculty, and staff to understand the cause of the stampede and make recommendations to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

The stampede occurred during a cultural event organized by the university. Thousands of students had gathered on the university grounds to watch the event when a rumor spread that there was a fire. The students panicked and began to run, resulting in the stampede.

The university has been criticized for its handling of the event, with some students accusing the administration of not doing enough to prevent the stampede. Others have said that the students themselves were to blame for the incident, as they did not follow the instructions of the organizers.

The expert panel is expected to submit its report within two weeks. The report will contain recommendations for improving safety on the CUSAT campus.

In the meantime, the university has taken steps to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. These steps include increasing the number of security guards on campus and providing more training to students and staff on how to deal with emergency situations.

The expert panel’s visit to the CUSAT campus is a welcome step in the investigation of the stampede. The panel’s recommendations will be important in preventing similar incidents from happening in the future.

Here are some of the questions that the expert panel is expected to investigate:

• What caused the rumor that there was a fire?
• How did the rumor spread so quickly?
• Did the university do enough to prevent the stampede?
• What could the university have done differently?
• What can be done to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future?

The answers to these questions will help to determine the cause of the stampede and make recommendations to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

The CUSAT stampede is a tragedy that should never have happened. The expert panel’s investigation is an important step in ensuring that such a tragedy never happens again.