At least 31 people, including women and children, were killed and around 40 others injured in a stampede at Tamil actor-turned-politician Vijay鈥檚 rally in Tamil Nadu鈥檚 Karur district Saturday evening.
The accident occurred during the 鈥榁elicham Veliyeru鈥�, 鈥楲et there be light鈥�, campaign meeting of Vijay鈥檚 party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, reported Hindustan Times.
Health minister Ma Subramanian confirmed that the dead included 16 women, nine men and six children.
The incident took place at Velusamypuram on the Karur鈥揈rode highway, where nearly double the expected crowd turned up. Permissions had been granted for 30,000 attendees, but local reports suggested nearly 60,000 people gathered, overwhelming the venue.
Witnesses said that the surge began at around 7:45pm when fans rushed toward the stage to see Vijay. Many fainted in the suffocating crush, and children were separated from their families. Several were trampled before police and volunteers could intervene.
Television footage showed Vijay halting his speech, handing out water bottles to fainting supporters, and calling for police help. At one point, he was seen asking for a missing child to be located amid the chaos.
Ambulances struggled to reach the injured as the ground was jammed. Volunteers formed human chains to clear paths. Many victims were taken to Karur district headquarters hospital, while others were shifted to Erode and Tiruchirappalli medical colleges.
Officials initially confirmed 10 deaths, but the toll rose as hospitals reported casualties.
Police sources admitted the crowd was far larger than estimated. Despite restrictions鈥攕uch as barricades around the stage, designated entry and exit points, and a ban on road shows鈥攖he controls failed.
鈥楾he entry points became chokeholds. The barricades could not handle the surge,鈥� said an officer.
Reports suggested that some volunteers even encouraged the crowd to move closer when Vijay began speaking, worsening the situation.
The district administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry. A senior official said crowd-control failures were evident and promised accountability once evidence is reviewed.
Tamil Nadu ministers announced relief of 鈧�5 lakh for the families of the dead and 鈧�50,000 for the injured. Chief minister MK Stalin is scheduled to visit Karur on Sunday.
Opposition parties blamed both the ruling DMK government and Vijay鈥檚 TVK. AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami said that the tragedy could have been avoided with proper safety measures.
TVK leaders expressed grief but defended their preparations. 鈥榃e had followed all police instructions. The love for Vijay anna brought people in such numbers,鈥� spokesperson Bussy Anand said.
Vijay, 51, one of Tamil cinema鈥檚 biggest stars known as 鈥楾halapathy,鈥� launched TVK earlier this year. His party polled nearly 10 per cent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, largely among young voters, and his state-wide campaign was seen as a bid to challenge the DMK and AIADMK in the 2026 assembly elections.
