Youth who came to attend Vedan's music programme killed after being hit by train

KASARGOD: A youth, who had come to attend rapper Vedan’s music programme at the Bekal Beach Fest, was killed after being hit by a train. The deceased has been identified as Shivanandan (20), son of Poinachi native Venugopalan. According to reports, Shivanandan was hit by the Tirunelveli-Jamnagar Express, which was heading towards Mangaluru. The body was discovered at around 10 pm last night by the loco pilot of a train that passed through the area. The body was later shifted to Kasaragod General Hospital.

Vedan’s music programme was scheduled to begin at 8 pm last night at the Bekal Beach Park. Railway authorities had closed unauthorised entry routes from the Bekal railway station to the beach park. It is reported that the accident happened when the youth tried to bypass these restrictions and enter the park through the railway track. One more person was reportedly injured after being hit by the train.

The music programme began after a delay of one and a half hours. In the meantime, a large number of people had gathered at the venue. Organisers said that many people entered the programme area without tickets. As the crowd was much larger than expected, there was a heavy rush and congestion. Attempts by people to move closer to the stage further increased the tension. Several people, including children, fell unwell and were admitted to the hospital. None of them is reported to be in serious condition.