A tragic stampede at a rally held by actor-turned-politician Vijay in Karur district, Tamil Nadu, resulted in the death of at least 41 individuals, including 18 women and nine children. Authorities have confirmed that they have identified all the deceased and have returned their bodies to their families.
The incident occurred around 7:30 PM in the Veluchamy Puram area, where Vijay, leader of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), was addressing his supporters from his campaign vehicle. Overcrowding at the event caused numerous attendees to faint, prompting ambulances to navigate through the dense crowd multiple times to transport the affected individuals to hospitals.
Panic escalated when some supporters attempted to climb a tree for a better view, causing a branch to break and fall into the crowd, which sparked a chaotic crush of people. In the aftermath, 111 injured individuals were admitted to various government and private hospitals in Karur for treatment.
Retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan, assigned to conduct a judicial inquiry into the incident, visited the site of the stampede and later met with officials at the Government Medical College Hospital. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin arrived at the hospital around 3:15 AM on Sunday to assess the injuries and the relief efforts, followed later in the day by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who spoke with victims and their families.
In response to the tragedy, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam filed a petition with the Madras High Court, calling for the court to take suo motu cognizance of the incident. The party suggested the possibility of “conspiracies” contributing to the stampede and sought either an independent investigation or a probe initiated by the court itself.
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