Tragic Stampede at Vijay's TVK Rally in Karur: 40 Dead Following 7-Hour Delay

Vijay said he was "heart-broken" after the Karur stampede

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu's Director General of Police G Venkataraman has reported that a seven-hour delay in actor-politician Vijay's arrival at his rally resulted in an unmanageable crowd surge of supporters.

In a tragic incident on Saturday, at least 40 individuals lost their lives and approximately 100 others sustained injuries in a stampede at a political rally organized by Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Karur.

During a late-night press conference, Mr. Venkataraman explained that while organizers anticipated around 10,000 attendees, the actual turnout reached approximately 27,000 people. He noted that 500 security personnel had been deployed for the event.

"Previous TVK rallies attracted smaller crowds, but this particular event saw a significantly higher attendance than expected," Mr. Venkataraman stated.

He elaborated that a crowd surge occurred after TVK's official X (formerly Twitter) account announced that 51-year-old Vijay would arrive at the venue by 12 noon. However, the official permission for the rally had been requested for the timeframe between 3 pm and 10 pm.

"Permission was sought for between 3 pm-10 pm. The TVK Twitter account indicated he would arrive at 12, prompting crowds to begin gathering from 11 AM. He eventually arrived at 7:40 PM. People lacked adequate food and water while waiting in the intense heat," he explained, adding it was "premature to determine the exact cause of the stampede."

Video footage from the venue showed thousands of supporters surrounding a large campaign vehicle upon which Vijay was seen standing and addressing the crowd.

Visual evidence also captured Vijay distributing water bottles from atop the vehicle to supporters who were fainting, and requesting police assistance when the crowd became uncontrollable.

Vijay, who has consistently drawn massive crowds to his public appearances since launching Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in 2024, expressed being "heartbroken" and in "unbearable pain" following the Karur tragedy.

"My heart is broken; I am experiencing unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow," he shared on X.

"I offer my deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of my dear brothers and sisters who lost their lives in Karur. I pray for the quick recovery of those currently receiving treatment in the hospital," he added.

Vijay has been actively campaigning ahead of state elections scheduled for early 2026.

The incident has renewed scrutiny of TVK's rallies, which have repeatedly violated established restrictions. Despite prohibitions on roadshows, Vijay's journeys to venues effectively became roadshows, with hundreds of supporters joining his procession.

Courts had previously warned of such risks, placing responsibility on both the actor-politician and law enforcement authorities.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has appointed a commission led by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan to investigate whether police underestimated the rally's scale, or if Vijay's delayed arrival was a deliberate strategy to increase crowd attendance—a miscalculation that resulted in one of Tamil Nadu's most devastating political rally tragedies.