Chief Minister MK Stalin said a one-person commission has been set up under retired high court judge Aruna Jagadeesan to inquire into the incident.
Published Sep 28, 2025 | 7:38 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 28, 2025 | 8:10 AM
Chief Minister MK Stalin with the kin of the victims.
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin visited Karur and paid respects to the people who lost their lives during a political event by placing floral wreaths over their bodies. He confirmed that 39 people lost their lives in the incident — 13 men, 17 women, four boys, and five girls.
Following the stampede-like situation during the public meeting of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin visited Karur early on Sunday, 28 September, and paid respects to the deceased by placing floral wreaths over their bodies.
The chief minister, who reached Karur at around 3 am, consoled the families of the victims and later held discussions with officials.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Stalin said: “I am standing here with immense grief. The tragic incident that has taken place in Karur cannot be described in words. Such a painful situation has occurred that I don’t even have the mind to explain it in detail. I am in deep agony myself.
He confirmed that 39 people lost their lives in the incident — 13 men, 17 women, four boys, and five girls. Stalin said it was an unprecedented tragedy, adding that such a large loss of lives had never occurred in a political meeting.
Meanwhile, Karur District Collector M Thangavel said that 38 people among the 39 deceased have been identified. It is to be noted that several families have lost more than one member following the tragedy.
Among the deceased were Thamaraikannan (25), Hemalatha (8), Sailetsana (8), Sai Jeeva (4), Sukanya (33), Akash (23), Dhanushkumar (24), Vadivazhagan alias Vadivel (54), Revathi (52), Chandra (40), Dhruv Vishnu (20 months), Ramesh (32), Sanuj (13), Ravikrishnan (32), Priyadarshini (35), Dharanika (14), Pazhaniammal (11), Kokila (14), Maheshwari (45), Ajitha (21), Malathi (36), Sumathi (50), Manikandan (33), Satheeshkumar (34), Krithik Yadav (7), Anand (26), Sankar Ganesh (45), Vijayarani (42), Gokulapriya (28), Fathima Banu (29), Kishore (17), Jaya (55), Arukkani (60), and Jayanthi (43).
The postmortem examination of 14 bodies has been completed so far. According to officials, 111 people are currently under treatment.
The chief minister said he was informed about the situation at around 7.45 pm on Saturday. “While I was in Chennai in discussion with officials, I received the news that such an incident had occurred in Karur, where several people fainted due to suffocation in the crowd and were being admitted to hospitals.”
“Immediately upon hearing the news, I contacted Minister Senthil Balaji and instructed him to rush to the hospital. Then I spoke with the District Collector, who also informed me about the situation. Within the next five minutes, the number of people being rushed to hospitals increased, and news of deaths also came in. I never expected such a tragedy,” he said.
The chief minister said he immediately contacted ministers from the neighbouring districts and sent them to the hospital. “I also instructed the DGP and ADGP to take urgent measures on a war footing. After that, I went to the Secretariat, where I held consultations with senior ministers and officials. Orders were issued for government officials and doctors from nearby districts to proceed to Karur without delay. At such a time, I request full cooperation from the public,” he added.
Stalin said a one-person commission has been set up under retired high court judge Aruna Jagadeesan to inquire into the incident. “I do not wish to speak with any political motive,” he said.
When asked whether Vijay would be arrested, the chief minister replied that action would be taken based on the findings of the commission’s report. The government has also announced an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh each to the bereaved families.
The TVK headquarters had informed the district police that it was expecting only around 10,000 people to attend the meeting. The party also assured in writing that it would make the necessary arrangements and sought the police permission to hold the meeting.
However, according to preliminary estimates, more than 50,000 people converged at the ground, which led to the stampede. Even as Vijay started speaking, the crowd surged forward for a better glimpse of the actor-politician. In the melee, several people swooned, and children were parted from their guardians.
Though Vijay stopped his brief speech multiple times, the crowd could not be managed. The surge of crowd led to several people suffocating and gasping for breath.
The TVK had earlier urged women not to bring children to the event. However, the appeal went unheeded.
The event was part of Vijay’s public outreach programme, rolled out ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. The programme was being conducted every Saturday.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose.)
