Karur stampede: Death toll reaches 41 after woman succumbs to injuries

The death toll from the stampede at actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) campaign rally in Karur has climbed to 41, after a 65-year-old woman, Sukuna of Velusamipuram, succumbed to her injuries late Sunday night, 28 September.

Sukuna, an employee of a private company, had gone missing after the rally. Her relatives later discovered she was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Karur Government Hospital, but despite treatment, doctors could not save her.

The tragedy unfolded on Saturday evening at Velayudhampalayam, where thousands had thronged to hear Vijay address supporters. Witnesses described a massive crowd that spilled far beyond the venue’s capacity. As people surged forward to catch a glimpse of the TVK leader, panic broke out. A brief power outage reportedly worsened the chaos. In the stampede that followed, many were trapped in narrow exit lanes, while others collapsed, fainted, and were trampled underfoot.

By Sunday night, authorities had identified and handed over 34 bodies to grieving families. More than 80 people remain injured, several of them in critical condition. Ambulances and emergency workers toiled through the night, struggling to move victims from the packed venue to nearby hospitals.

The scale of the disaster has triggered an outpouring of grief and calls for accountability at the highest levels.

President Droupadi Murmu expressed her condolences, saying she was “pained by the tragic loss of lives in Karur” and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the incident “heart-rending” and announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia to the families of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM’s Relief Fund.

Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin, who rushed to Karur after the incident, described the tragedy as “an unprecedented loss of innocent lives.” He declared Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of those killed and announced a judicial inquiry led by retired Madras High Court judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan to probe crowd control lapses and fix responsibility.

"Do not spread rumour, don't slander on the social media about the tragedy in Karur. Everyone should behave responsibly," the chief minister said.

Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), who met survivors and bereaved families, blamed the state administration, saying police and intelligence units had failed to anticipate the turnout and ensure safety measures. “The government cannot escape accountability,” EPS said.

Vijay, who had launched his political outfit TVK earlier this year, issued an emotional statement calling the stampede deaths “an irreparable loss.” He pledged ₹20 lakh compensation from his personal funds to each bereaved family and ₹2 lakh to the injured, adding, “My heart is overwhelmed with profound heaviness. I will stand by the victims and their families in every possible way.”

Police have registered cases and begun a probe into the disaster. Investigators are examining lapses in crowd management, venue preparedness, and emergency response at the rally, which had attracted an unprecedented number of supporters.

What was meant to be a show of political strength for the star-turned-politician has now turned into a national tragedy, exposing the risks of poorly managed mass gatherings and raising urgent questions on safety at political events in Tamil Nadu.

China on Monday extended its "deep condolences" to the families of those killed in the stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu.

Forty-one people lost their lives and dozens were injured in the tragic incident on Saturday.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during a media briefing, “We express our deep condolences for the victims, and our hearts go out to their families and those injured.” He added that the Chinese embassy in India had conveyed its sympathy and condolences.

With PTI/IANS inputs