Tamil nadu: As 39 people die during stampede at actor Vijay’s event in Karur, read what led to the tragedy

Crowd chaos at Vijay’s Karur rally where stampede killed 39 people after hours of waiting in overcrowded conditions
Overcrowding and late arrival led to Karur stampede at Vijay’s rally, killing 39 people and leaving more than 50 injured (Image: TNM)

On 27th September, at least 39 people, including 9 children, lost their lives and over 50 were injured in a stampede at actor-turned-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur. The tragedy unfolded as tens of thousands waited under the blazing sun for hours before Vijay arrived.

Police highlight crowd mismanagement and late arrival

Acting Director General of Police of Tamil Nadu, G Venkataraman, said in a statement that the rally was scheduled from 3 PM to 10 PM. However, Vijay reached the venue over four hours late, at 7:30 PM. He said, “By the time Vijay arrived, the crowd had already been waiting for hours without sufficient food and water. This is the reality.”

According to the police, organisers expected 10,000 people. However, around 27,000 people turned up. Venkataraman added, “Earlier rallies of TVK had smaller crowds. However, this time the turnout was far higher than anticipated.” Over 500 police personnel were deployed, yet the sheer size of the gathering overwhelmed security arrangements.

Panic as crowd surged during speech

Soon after Vijay arrived and began his address from atop his campaign vehicle, the stampede occurred. According to eyewitnesses, people began fainting, which triggered panic in the overcrowded ground. Several women and children were caught in the crush. Upon learning about the stampede, Vijay stopped his address midway and threw water bottles to the stricken while appealing for police assistance.

Survivors recount horror

Speaking to news agency ANI, eyewitnesses said that the chaos was unstoppable. Nanda Kumar, one of the survivors, said, “Nothing could be done to control the crowd.” Another survivor recalled how the movement of the ambulances was hampered. P Sivasankari from Namakkal said, “We shouted for help, but no one could move. People fell on top of each other. We could not breathe.”

A man who lost his daughter in the mayhem said, “She just fainted. We thought she would be fine. But when we found her again, she was gone.”

PM Modi and other leaders expressed grief

Soon after the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief. In a post on social media platform X, he wrote, “The unfortunate incident during a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. Wishing strength to them in this difficult time. Praying for a swift recovery to all those injured.”

Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed condolences. In a post on X, he wrote, “Deeply pained by the tragic loss of lives in a stampede in Karur, Tamil Nadu. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. I pray to the Almighty to give them the strength to bear this grief and for the speedy recovery of the injured.”

BJP Tamil Nadu cancelled all programmes for the next two days in view of the incident. In a post on X, the party wrote, “The heart-wrenching deaths that occurred in Karur today are a tragic incident. The loss is irreplaceable. Words cannot describe it. There are no words to console the families of those who have been lost. Let us pray to God that all the brothers and sisters receiving treatment in the hospital recover fully. As per the instructions of our state president, Mr Nainar Nagenthan, all programmes planned by the Bharatiya Janata Party for the next two days have been cancelled.”

BJP leader and former TN BJP chief K Annamalai blamed the DMK government for the incident. He said it is the responsibility of the state government to provide an adequate number of police personnel to ensure the safety of the public attending such events. While expressing condolences to the affected families, he wrote, “The DMK government, which deploys the entire district police force to provide security for gatherings organised by DMK members, has made it a habit to fail in providing adequate security arrangements for events held by opposition parties.” He urged the state government to immediately provide appropriate compensation and conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

Political response and inquiry ordered

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, confirmed the death toll and announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for each victim’s family. A one-man commission has been set up to investigate. Vijay expressed his grief on X, saying he was in “unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow.”

Written by Anurag
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