What began as a routine campaign stop for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and actor Vijay turned into a devastating tragedy on Saturday in Karur, where a massive crowd surge led to a stampede that left 40 people dead and dozens more injured.
The sequence of events points to a combination of delays, inadequate coordination, and insufficient security arrangements.
Vijay landed at Tiruchy International Airport at 9:30 a.m. and began his road journey toward Namakkal. His convoy, followed by hundreds of vehicles and slowed by cheering supporters along the route, ran more than six hours behind schedule. Although he was originally expected at Namakkal’s KS Theatre by 8:30 a.m., he arrived only at 2:35 p.m. An estimated 20,000 people had gathered there, with only 150 police officers deployed. After a brief speech, he left for Karur at 2:55 p.m.
The next rally was scheduled at Velusamypuram, Karur, but confusion over timings and lack of clarity from TVK meant police and local officials were underprepared. Authorities had expected about 10,000 attendees, but more than 30,000 ultimately packed into the grounds. Only 500 police personnel were deployed.
By the time Vijay reached at around 7:00 p.m.—four hours late—the crowd had grown restless and chaotic. Limited amenities, including drinking water and medical aid, worsened the situation. Confusion spread when supporters outside the venue could not see Vijay due to lights being switched off, prompting a forward rush. As the actor began speaking, people fainted from exhaustion and suffocation, while others fell in the crush. Ambulances struggled to reach the injured, and clashes reportedly broke out between TVK cadres and medical teams.
Witnesses said Vijay tried to ease the situation by distributing water bottles from his campaign vehicle, but the surge became uncontrollable. He cut short his speech and left the venue around 7:30 p.m., returning to Tiruchy and later flying back to Chennai.
Police have since registered cases against senior TVK leaders under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act. Officials described the tragedy as the result of poor planning, inadequate police deployment, and the failure of party cadres to follow instructions.
Supporters, however, blamed the narrow roads, overcrowding, and police lathi charges for escalating tensions.
The stampede has now sparked widespread debate over crowd safety at political rallies and the responsibility of organisers in preventing such disasters.
Source:Africa Publicity
