The death toll due to the stampede in Tamil Nadu has reached 40. Eyewitnesses and authorities describe the situation as unescapable and horrifying, as people died in a congregation held for actor and politician Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar. The state’s health minister informed that 124 people were injured. He further stated that 36 victims died before reaching the hospital, while four others died while undergoing treatment.
Thousands of people gathered in Karur on Saturday to witness a rally of actor-turned-politician Vijay Chandrasekhar, popularly known as Vijay, amidst the warm weather. The people were gathered to cheer Vijay’s upcoming role in the 2026 state assembly elections. The importance of actors in Tamil Nadu is often synonymous with divine, as people worship heroes in the Southern state. Eyewitnesses suggest that the actor was late by six hours at the rally, which led to an immense crowd at the small place.
S Sebasen, a resident who witnessed the incident, stated that barricades were in place to prevent the crowd, but the number of people exceeded expectations, making it uncontrollable. Soon, people started fainting, as described by Sebasen. Another eyewitness stated that when the actor’s vehicle started leaving the area, people rushed behind it, which started the stampede that killed 40 people and created horror in the whole country.
The actor has announced a compensation of 20 lakhs for the family of the deceased victims, while 2 lakhs will be given to the injured. The government of Tamil Nadu has also declared relief money worth 10 lakhs for the deceased and 1 lakh for the injured.
A lot of lapses have been pointed out at the venue. The crowd exceeded the organisers’ estimation, from 10,000 to three times that same, which caused suffocation and panic. It has also been highlighted that the place lacked proper food and water facilities for the people. Police officers further confirmed that the actor was late by six hours, and the people were waiting for several hours before the event with no food or water, which exacerbated the commotion and led to the mishap.
