'Dhishna', the ill-fated event in which a stampede ended the lives of four students, was organised by the School of Engineering at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat). It was planned as the revival of the annual Tech Fest after it was discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The three-day event that started on Friday (November 24) was marked as the "remarkable revival" on its dedicated website. CUSAT was hosting Dhishna after a three-year gap. The previous tech fest was held in 2020.

The tragedy occurred on the second day, ahead of a music concert by popular playback singer Nikhita Gandhi, in an open-air auditorium on the campus.

On the first day, the tech fest showcased various cutting-edge technologies highlighting their uses and possible abuse.

Robo Games such as Robo War, Robo Survival, Robo Soccer, Autonomy Race, and Drag Race were the other major events. For Robo Games, the students had built 10 robots.

The other major event planned was the launch of the rocket designed and engineered by students. They were attempting to reach 10,000 feet high with their rocket.

Apart from Nikhita Gandhi's concert, organisers had also planned a dance battle, dirt bike race, RC car show, and soapy football matches.