Karur, Tamil Nadu – A tragic stampede at actor-politician and TVK chief Vijay’s rally in Karur claimed 39 lives on Saturday evening, with multiple eyewitnesses attributing the chaos to a power outage, overwhelming crowd surge, and cramped venue space.
According to those present, Vijay arrived nearly seven hours late, around 7 PM, causing the crowd — which had already swelled during the long wait — to push forward in excitement. “When his campaign bus entered, the crowd surged again. People even climbed trees, rooftops, and electric poles just to get a glimpse,” an eyewitness told NDTV.
Authorities reportedly cut the power supply to prevent electrocution incidents, further worsening the situation. “As soon as Vijay arrived, people pushed and shoved. Some even threw slippers at the bus to catch his attention. Those perched on trees and power lines fell into drains, and some fainted. Ambulances couldn’t reach them due to the crowd,” another eyewitness recounted.
Some witnesses alleged that the police resorted to a lathi charge to control the chaos, adding that timely gestures from Vijay could have prevented the crowd from rushing forward.
Following the tragedy, Vijay expressed grief, stating, “My heart is shattered. I am in unbearable pain. I offer my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.” The TVK leader announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh each for the 39 victims’ families and ₹2 lakh for the nearly 100 injured.
A police case has been filed against several top TVK leaders, including Vijay’s close aide N Anand and joint general secretary CT Nirmal Kumar, under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The DMK-led state government criticized the rally organizers, alleging they failed to arrange basic facilities such as drinking water and food, leading to people fainting.
Government sources also claimed that ambulances were delayed entry even when people collapsed during Vijay’s speech. After the event, Vijay reportedly left for Trichy airport and flew to Chennai on a private flight.
The investigation into the Karur tragedy is ongoing, with questions being raised about crowd management, safety measures, and adherence to security guidelines at the event.