The DGP said the party had informed authorities of an expected crowd of around 10,000 people, but more than 27,000 turned up for the event.
Published Sep 28, 2025 | 9:37 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 28, 2025 | 9:37 AM
The area where the stampede occurred.
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (in-charge) G Venkataraman told the media that a large crowd, inadequate facilities, and congestion caused the stampede in Karur. He added that the turnout — more than double the expected number — worsened the impact of the incident.
Following the tragic stampede during an election campaign rally of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay in the Karur district, Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (in-charge) G Venkataraman told the media that a large crowd, inadequate facilities and congestion caused the tragedy.
“This is a very unfortunate incident. So far, 39 people have died. Among them are 13 men, 17 women, and nine children —four boys and five girls. In response, around 2,000 police personnel, along with ADGP Law & Order and other senior officers, have rushed to the spot,” the DGP said.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered against several people, including TVK Karur West District Secretary VP Mathiyazhagan.
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.
“Taking into account their earlier rallies in Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur, we had allotted a larger venue in Karur than the one they originally requested. The places they first asked for — the Roundana area and the Uzhavar Sandhai areas are very small. Only two days ago, another state-level party had conducted its campaign rally in this same venue,” Venkataraman said.
“They had stated an expected crowd of 10,000, but around 27,000 people turned up. Keeping in mind that it would be much more than 10,000, we had already deployed sufficient police personnel for security arrangements,” he added.
Preliminary estimates indicate that around 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 the crowd led to several people suffocating and gasping for breath.
The DGP further explained that the mismatch between the announced and actual timing of the event caused a crowd surge, which intensified the tragedy.
“They had officially sought permission for the event from 3 pm. to 10 pm. But on Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s social media pages, it was posted that the leader (Vijay) would arrive at 12 noon. In reality, he only arrived at 7.40 pm,” Venkataraman said.
“As a result, the crowd had begun gathering from 11 am itself. With inadequate facilities, people had been waiting at the venue for long hours. On top of this, large crowds joined in along the route, accompanying his convoy, which further increased the congestion and led to the severe crowd crush,” he added.
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.
A one-person commission has been set up under retired high court judge Aruna Jagadeesan to inquire into the incident. The government has also announced an ex gratia payment of ₹10 lakh each to the bereaved families.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose.)
