A massive campaign rally by Tamil actor-turned-politician Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in Karur district tragically ended in a stampede on Saturday evening, September 27, leaving at least 39 people dead and around 40-80 injured and undergoing treatment.
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian confirmed the deceased include 16 women, 12 men, and 11 children (9 children, 2 boys, 2 girls as per some sources, total 39 deaths confirmed). The crowd surge reportedly occurred as people rushed the barricade to catch a glimpse of actor Vijay during his speech. Police had expected a crowd of about 30,000, but local reports suggested up to 60,000 were in attendance, far exceeding the anticipated turnout.
Key Updates and Government Action
Death Toll and Injured:
- The death toll has tragically increased from an initial 10 to 39 confirmed deaths.
- Around 51 people are currently receiving intensive treatment in hospitals, with over 80 hospitalised in total.
Compensation Announced:
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced a compensation of $₹$10 lakh each for the families of the deceased.
- A compensation of $₹$1 lakh will be provided to those who were injured and are undergoing intensive treatment in hospitals.
- (Note: The initial under-consideration amounts were $₹$5 lakh for the deceased and $₹$50,000 for the injured, which the CM has substantially increased.)
Inquiry Commission Formed:
- The district administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry.
- CM MK Stalin has ordered the formation of a one-person Inquiry Commission headed by a retired High Court judge, Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, to conduct a proper investigation into the incident and submit a report.
- CM Stalin stated, “The truth will come out through the inquiry commission. I do not wish to say anything with a political motive. Once the truth is revealed through the inquiry commission, strict action will definitely be taken.”
Police and Administrative Response:
- Case Registered: Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, S. Davidson Devasirvatham, confirmed that a case has been registered and preliminary investigation will be conducted.
- Organiser Booked: A case has been filed against V.P. Mathiyazhagan, TVK’s Karur West district secretary, under sections 109, 110, 125b, and 223 of the BNS for alleged violation of norms.
- Crowd Mismanagement: Tamil Nadu DGP in-charge G Venkatraman noted that while earlier TVK rallies had smaller crowds, this time the turnout of nearly 27,000 was far higher than the expected 10,000. He suggested that people waiting for hours without sufficient food and water may have contributed to the tragedy.
- The Union Home Ministry has also sought a detailed report from the Tamil Nadu government on the stampede.
CM Stalin’s Response and Visit
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin visited the Government Medical College and Hospital in Karur in the early hours of Sunday to meet the injured and offer his condolences to the families of the victims.
Addressing the media, CM Stalin expressed his profound grief: “So far, 39 people have died. In the history of our state, never has such a large number of people lost their lives in a program organised by a political party, and such a tragedy should never happen in the future either.” He described the loss as “deeply shocking and distressing” and “irreparable.”
Condolences from Political Leaders
Leaders across the nation, including PM Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, MK Stalin, Arvind Kejriwal, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, and DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, have expressed their deep sorrow and offered condolences to the bereaved families.
Actor-politician Vijay also released a statement, saying his heart was “shattered” and he was “writhing in unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow.”