A massive tragedy unfolded at Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay's rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur district, where 39 people, including nine children and 17 women were killed in a stampede. Officials said 46 people were injured.
Police sources told NDTV some people had fainted at a point where large numbers had surged forward, triggering the stampede. A senior police officer estimated that "at least 30,000 people had gathered" at the venue, where Vijay was scheduled to speak after his earlier rally in Namakkal.
His arrival, however, was delayed by more than seven hours, by which time the crowds had swelled uncontrollably.
As the crowd swelled and people started getting suffocated because of the heat and overcrowding, Vijay stopped his speech and started throwing bottles of water at the crowd to help, videos showed.
DMK leader V Senthil Balaji shared helpline numbers for the public to seek details about the affected people. The emergency assistance numbers are from the Karur district collector's office.The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a report from the Tamil Nadu government on the incident, sources said.
At a press conference at 1 am, Tamil Nadu DGP in charge G Venkatraman said Vijay's party first asked for permission to hold the rally at Karur lighthouse roundana. "However, considering huge crowds from the last two rallies, we didn't give permission in that area which was narrower than this. They said 10,000 people will come, but more than 27,000 came," the senior police officer told reporters.
"The permission was asked for between 10 am and 3 pm, and it was announced Vijay would reach there by 12.30 pm. Crowds started gathering from 11 am, but he reached the venue only at 7.40 pm. The crowd did not get water or food. We are not blaming anyone, but stating the facts," the DGP said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who is coming to Karur tonight, in a post on X expressed shock over the tragedy. He has ordered an investigation into the stampede by a one-member panel, headed by retired high court judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan.
"I have ordered an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident and Rs 1 lakh for those undergoing intensive treatment in hospitals," Mr Stalin said in a statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the unfortunate incident during the political rally in Karur 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," he said.
After the incident, Vijay went to the airport in Trichy and took a flight to Chennai. He declined to give a comment to the media and hid his face from cameras at the airport. He spoke on the incident for the first time only after he landed in the state capital.
"My heart is shattered, writhing in pain," he said.
The police have filed a case against Muthiyazhagan, the Karur district secretary of the TVK. He was one of the party members responsible for organising Vijay's rally.
This is not the first time Vijay's rallies have come under scrutiny. His debut rally in Trichy earlier this month saw massive crowds escorting his convoy from the airport to the venue, turning a 20-minute ride into a six-hour traffic jam that brought the city to a halt.
Citing safety concerns, the police had imposed 23 conditions for TVK rallies, including a ban on joining convoys, public receptions, and advisories for pregnant women, the elderly and the differently abled to follow events online.
Courts, too, had made strong observations about public safety and the actor-politician's responsibility even as TVK alleged bias against the party. Despite Vijay's repeated appeals, most of these conditions were openly defied by his supporters. Many had brought in children and infants.
The Madras High Court, while hearing TVK's petition against "tough and unfulfillable conditions" imposed by the police for its rallies earlier this month, had questioned whether such restrictions were being applied to all parties.
Justice N Sathish Kumar referred to the chaos at Vijay's Tiruchi rally on September 13, and said, "If something untoward had happened, who would take responsibility? As party president, Vijay ought to control the crowds."
The Karur tragedy raises questions on both the TVK's accountability and the police's preparedness. Did the inordinate delay in Vijay's arrival contribute to the build-up and was it deliberate to showcase his mass support? Were adequate measures taken to avert such a disaster, given the warning signs from earlier rallies?(News Agency)