Deadly Stampede at Vijay's TVK Rally: Eyewitness Claims Actor Ignored Pleas as 39 People Died in Karur

Another eyewitness stated that police had to resort to lathi charge to control the situation.

Eyewitnesses revealed to NDTV that a power outage, sudden crowd surge, and confined space led to the tragic stampede at actor-politician Vijay's TVK rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur, resulting in 39 fatalities. The catastrophe occurred Saturday evening when Vijay arrived seven hours behind schedule to address thousands of waiting supporters.

One eyewitness described how the crowd had grown substantially by the time Vijay arrived around 7 pm, with his campaign bus triggering another wave of movement among attendees. During the long wait, many people had climbed trees, rooftops, and power lines, forcing authorities to cut electricity to prevent electrocution incidents.

According to testimonies, when Vijay finally appeared, people began pushing against each other and throwing slippers at his campaign vehicle to attract his attention. "Some individuals who had climbed trees and power lines fell into drainage ditches and became trapped. Several people lost consciousness as well. Ambulances attempted to reach those in distress but couldn't navigate through the massive crowd," the eyewitness explained.

A second eyewitness claimed police eventually conducted a lathi charge to disperse the gathering.

"Had Vijay simply waved to the crowd while passing through, people wouldn't have followed him so desperately. People were crying out for assistance, but Vijay disregarded their pleas," the witness added.

In the aftermath of the deadly incident, Vijay expressed his condolences, stating his "heart is shattered." He released a statement saying, "I am experiencing unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow beyond words. 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 hospital treatment."

The TVK chief announced compensation of Rs 20 lakh for each family who lost someone in the stampede. He also committed that his party would provide Rs 2 lakh to each of the approximately 100 people injured in the tragedy.

The day following the incident, two senior TVK leaders, including Vijay's close associate N Anand, were charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The police case also named TVK joint general secretary CT Nirmal Kumar, the party's Karur West district secretary Mathiyazhagan, and three additional individuals.

The DMK-led state government has criticized the actor-politician for allegedly violating security protocols. Government sources indicated that rally organizers failed to make adequate arrangements for water and food, leading to attendees fainting. They further alleged that when people began collapsing during Vijay's speech, he continued addressing the crowd, and ambulances were prevented from accessing the venue. Following the rally, Vijay reportedly departed for Trichy airport and flew to Chennai on a private aircraft.