The death toll rose to 39 in the tragic stampede that occurred during the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s (TVK) political rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur, said officials on Sunday. The rally was being addressed by party president, actor Vijay, on Saturday when the stampede occurred, leaving at least 39 people dead and over 50 others injured.
The public meeting, held at Velusamypuram in Karur, was part of Vijay’s fast-growing outreach campaign across Tamil Nadu.
According to police and local officials, thousands of supporters began gathering on the narrow approach roads from early morning to secure a vantage point for the evening address.
The event started around 7.20 p.m., but as crowds swelled in the confined space, a section became dangerously congested. Witnesses said people began fainting and stumbling as panic rippled through the dense crowd. Several victims were trampled in the chaos before rescue teams could reach them.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who rushed to Karur late at night to console bereaved families and meet the injured at Karur Medical College Hospital, confirmed that of the 39 who lost their lives, nine were children and 16 were women.
“More than 50 persons are injured and are being treated at Karur Medical College Hospital and nearby private facilities,” he said.
The death toll may rise further as some remain critical. The state government has announced a one-member judicial commission to investigate the incident.
Retired Madras High Court judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan will lead the inquiry and submit findings “as early as possible”, Stalin said.
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