Vijay’s Karur Rally Turns Deadly as Huge Crowd Sparks Stampede, Leaders Announce Aid and Inquiry

New Delhi (India) September 28: Vijay expressed his "deep weight of sadness" over the Karur tragedy. He promised to provide Rs 2 lakh to the injured and Rs 20 lakh to the families of the deceased. 

Vijay Offers Financial Help and Expresses Grief

Vijay described the loss as "irreparable". He says that nothing can make the victims feel any less pained. However, he promised that his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam will support the victims' families in any way he can. Vijay prayed for the injured people's quick recovery.

He posted, “My heart and mind are overwhelmed with profound heaviness. In the midst of the immense grief of losing our loved ones, I am at a loss for words to express the pain my heart endures. My eyes and mind are clouded with sorrow,” on X.

According to Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian, the death toll comprised at least 16 women, nine men and six children.

Chief Minister Stalin Orders Probe and Emergency Support

MK Stalin is the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. He described the Karur reports as "worrying" in a social media post. He has given officials instructions to treat those impacted right away. Stalin also appointed Justice Aruna Jagadeesan to lead the panel he established to look into the deaths caused by stampedes at rallies.

He posted, “The news coming from Karur is worrying. I have called former Minister V Senthilbalaji, Minister Subramanian Ma, and the District Collector to provide immediate treatment to the civilians who have fainted due to the crowd and have been admitted to the hospital. I have also ordered the Minister from the nearby Trichy district, Anbil Mahesh, to provide necessary assistance on a war footing. I have also spoken to the ADGP there to take steps to improve the situation as soon as possible. I request the public to cooperate with the doctors and the police," in a post written in Tamil.

Opposition Leader Expresses Shock and Condolences

Edappadi K Palaniswami is the leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu assembly. He expresses grief over the incident. 

He posts, "The news that more than 29 people lost their lives and several others fainted and are receiving treatment in the hospital due to the crowd chaos during the campaign meeting of the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam party held in Karur, where its leader Vijay spoke, is both shocking and distressing. I express my deepest condolences and regret to the families of those who lost their lives.”

Crowd Far Exceeded Limits, Rescue Efforts Hampered

According to police reports, the Karur event drew a significantly larger number than anticipated.

A source from Police said, “The turnout was much larger than projected. The entry points became chokeholds. The stage barricades could not handle the surge.”

Permissions were given for about 30,000 participants, but according to local sources, almost 60,000 people from other districts gathered on Velusamypuram. Many of the people were on foot, tractors, and buses.

The congested area was challenging for ambulances to navigate. Eventually, volunteers created human chains to create passageways for the injured. A large number were sent to the Karur District Headquarters Hospital, while others were directed to hospitals at Erode and Tiruchirappalli.

At Vijay's demonstration on Saturday night, a number of people, particularly women and children, passed out from congestion. The ambulance sirens were heard at 7:30 p.m.