Deadly Stampede at Actor-Politician Vijay's Rally in Karur Claims 40 Lives Including 10 Children

Dhuru Vishnu, 2, is among the victims of the stampede at Vijay's rally in Karur

Chennai:

Two-year-old Dhuru Vishnu, with his head adorned in the colors of actor-politician Vijay's TVK party, attended the Karur rally with relatives when the tragic stampede occurred. The toddler represents the youngest casualty in this devastating incident that has shocked Tamil Nadu and the entire nation.

Vishnu's aunt explained that the child cried and held onto her when she was departing for the rally. "We decided to bring him along. When Vijay arrived, the electricity supply was cut off. People couldn't hear him speak, so everyone attempted to move closer to the bus. We cannot attribute blame to Vijay for this incident. It was our error. We should never have brought a child to such an event." Vishnu's father also urged the public never to take children to crowded gatherings.

Among the 40 victims of yesterday's stampede at actor-politician Vijay's Karur rally, at least 10 were minors. Many victims were women, with most casualties being individuals in their twenties and thirties.

Devastating images circulating on social media show a father carrying his child while desperately seeking help at a hospital, and a mother refusing to release her child after medical professionals declared death.

Children who lost their lives in this tragedy include Hemalatha (8), Sailetsana (8), Sai Jeeva (4), Dhuru Vishnu (2), Sanuj (13), Dharanika (14), Pazhaniammal (11), Kokila (14), Krithik (7) and Kishore (17). Other victims include Thamaraikannan (25), Sukanya (33), Akash (23), Dhanushkumar (24), Vadivazhagan (54), Revathi (52), Chandra (40), Ramesh (32), Ravikrishnan (32), Priyadarshini (35), Maheshwari (45), Malathi (36), Sumathi (50), Manikandan (33), Satheeshkumar (34), Anand (26), Sankar Ganesh (45), Vijayarani (42), Gokulapriya (28), Fathima Banu (29), Jaya (55), Arukkani (60) and Jayanthi (43).

The actor-politician, whose TVK party is preparing for its electoral debut in next year's Tamil Nadu Assembly election, faces criticism after state government sources alleged safety norm violations at his rally. These sources claim Vijay arrived approximately seven hours behind schedule, with 27,000 people gathering at a venue designed for only 10,000. They also report that food and drinking water provisions were absent from the location.

Two senior TVK leaders, including general secretary and Vijay's associate N Anand, have been named in a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Vijay has announced compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the families of each of the 39 individuals who died in the stampede.

In a statement posted through his party's official X account, the 51-year-old actor-politician expressed overwhelming grief: "Words fail me in expressing the pain in my heart. My vision and thoughts are clouded with sorrow. The faces of everyone I've met continue to appear in my mind. The more I think about my loved ones who show affection and care, the more my heart becomes displaced."

"While I offer my deepest condolences with indescribable pain to those grieving the loss of our cherished loved ones, I also stand close to your hearts, sharing this immense sorrow. This represents an irreparable loss for all of us. Regardless of who provides comforting words, losing our loved ones remains unbearable. However, as a member of your family, I intend to provide 20 lakh rupees to each family that has suffered a loss and 2 lakh rupees to those injured and receiving treatment," stated the TVK chief, who is preparing for his electoral debut in next year's Assembly elections.

"This amount is certainly insignificant compared to such a loss. Nevertheless, at this moment, my duty as someone who belongs to your family is to stand beside you, my dear ones, with a heavy heart. Likewise, I pray that all our loved ones who are injured and undergoing treatment recover quickly and return home. I also assure you that our Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam will steadfastly provide all necessary support to our loved ones under treatment. By God's grace, let us strive to recover from this tragedy," he added.

Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin today visited the injured at a Karur hospital and met with families of the stampede victims. "The tears shed by the families of those who lost their lives throughout the night, and the pain caused by their grief-filled cries, have not left my heart," he stated in an X post. The state government has ordered a judicial inquiry led by a retired High Court judge.