Tragic Stampede at Actor Vijay's Tamil Nadu Rally Claims 40 Lives Including Mother Brought by Son to See His Hero

Murugan with his mother Jaya who attended Vijay's rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur

He escorted his mother to the rally to catch a glimpse of his idol, actor-turned-politician Vijay. His mother, Jaya, aged 55, became one of the 40 victims who lost their lives in the tragic stampede that occurred as thousands waited for hours in the scorching heat hoping to see the popular actor in Tamil Nadu's Karur district on Saturday.

Murugan, the woman's 34-year-old son, is currently in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a local hospital, according to doctors.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Chief Vijay was delivering his speech at the rally when the crowd suddenly surged forward, forcing him to stop speaking. Social media videos captured him throwing water bottles to supporters shortly before panic erupted.

"My heart is shattered at this tragedy," the 51-year-old star stated in his official response.

The rally venue was left with scattered shoes, crushed water bottles, torn party flags, pieces of clothing, broken poles, paper confetti, and various debris - all silent witnesses to the tragic incident.

State Police Chief G Venkataraman explained that crowds had been waiting for hours under the hot sun without adequate food and water after being informed that Vijay would arrive at noon.

"The crowds started coming in from 11 am. He came at 7:40 pm. The people lacked sufficient food and water under the hot sun," he informed reporters.

He further noted that while 10,000 people were expected, approximately 27,000 actually attended.

"I was not aware that she (Jaya) went there. When I saw the news, my family informed me about my sister. When we searched, we found her body. Her son has sustained chest injuries and is having difficulty breathing. Everyone rushed and pushed, and no one was able to escape from the spot. Thus they got stuck and a stampede occurred," explained the victim's brother.

"Her son is a big Vijay fan. So he took his mother to see his hero, and this happened," he added.

Vijay established his own political party in 2024 and has attracted massive crowds at campaign events leading up to state elections scheduled for next year.

"No water, no food facility. Due to which people fainted. Vijay didn't even speak for 3 minutes. He doesn't know politics. He is just an actor. This is his first time in politics. If they wanted to do this, they should have secured a proper ground and organized it better," commented a witness.

Chief Minister MK Stalin, who rushed to Karur after midnight, expressed profound sorrow and emphasized that such a tragedy should never recur. He announced that a judicial commission, headed by retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, would investigate the incident.

The Chief Minister also declared financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the victims and Rs 1 lakh for the injured.

Opposition Leader and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami visited the injured and accused the state of serious shortcomings in security planning.

"Proper crowd control and safety protocols were ignored. This is a man-made disaster," he charged, urging the government to establish accountability.