Stampede at Vijay’s Karur rally: Delay, blackout, heat, water bottles — what we know so far

1. The crowd far exceeded estimates

• Organisers told police they expected 10,000 attendees, but officials now say 27,000–30,000 people gathered.

• Police had rejected the party’s first choice of venue (Karur lighthouse roundtana) as too narrow, but the alternate site also proved inadequate.

• The crowd swelled as the day wore on, with no proper barricading or controlled entry points.

2. A six-hour delay worsened the situation

• Permission was sought for a rally between 10am and 3pm. Vijay was expected to arrive by 12:30 pm.

• Crowds began gathering from late morning, but the actor reached only around 7:40 pm, after campaigning earlier in Namakkal.

• By evening, many had been standing for hours in the heat without food, water, or shade. Frustration and fatigue grew.

3. Heat and overcrowding

• Several people fainted in the afternoon itself as temperatures rose in the packed venue.

• Videos showed Vijay throwing water bottles into the crowd from his campaign bus to ease the suffering.

• He reportedly pleaded, “Police please help,” after a child went missing in the melee.

• 3a. Blackout sparked panic

• A power cut during Vijay’s speech caused confusion.

• A witness told Puthiyathalaimurai TV from a hospital ward that when the lights went out, people couldn’t hear him and surged forward, desperate to catch his words.

• In the rush, several fainted victims had to be carried to ambulances.

4. The trigger: Surge towards Vijay’s bus

• The stampede began around 7:45pm when a group of supporters fell while trying to get closer to Vijay’s vehicle as he addressed the crowd.

• The fall caused panic, and in the crush that followed, people were trampled.

• Even ambulances stationed nearby could not push through the dense crowd immediately, delaying medical aid.

5. Emergency response was overwhelmed

• The Karur Government Hospital summoned all doctors to handle the influx of victims.

• Additional medical teams were dispatched from neighbouring districts, but several died before reaching care.

• Police and volunteers struggled to control the surging crowd, with rescue operations taking hours.

6. Political reactions and inquiries

• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin ordered an immediate judicial inquiry headed by retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan.

• He announced Rs1 million ex gratia for families of the deceased and Rs100,000 for those critically injured.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief, calling the incident “deeply saddening.”

• Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin cancelled a foreign trip to return and oversee relief.

• This is not the first time Vijay’s rallies have caused alarm. His debut rally in Trichy earlier this month saw traffic frozen for six hours as supporters clogged streets.

• The Madras High Court had previously warned that TVK rallies posed safety risks, and police had imposed 23 conditions on such events, including advisories for vulnerable groups to stay away.

• Many of these rules were openly flouted: children, infants, and the elderly were present in Karur despite warnings.