Vijay raects with shock and sorrow to the many killed at a stampede in his TVK rally at Karur

A stampede at a political rally in Karur by Vijay’s political party, Thamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has left at least 38 people dead, including 10 children and 16 women. Dozens more have been injured and were taken to nearby hospitals.

The stampede occurred while Vijay was addressing the rally. A generator broke down plunging most of the venue into darkness and a lost child led to mass panic and hysteria.

Other reports maintain that the crowd was quite agitated and that the police began a laththi charge against them, triggering the stampede.

In the midst of this, Karur police have registered a case against Muthiyazhagan, the Karur District General Secretary of Thamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The current charge states that the number of people who attended the rally far exceeded the number granted permission by the authorities. Officials also charge that Vijay’s late arrival at the venue further worsened the situation.

Vijay has expressed his shock and sorrow at the incident and messages of condolences have come from across the political spectrum.

Karur is situated about 400km southwest of Chennai.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, reacted quickly to the disaster bringing in the Health Minister and the collector of Karur to coordinate immediate attention to the injured. He has also announced an amount of Rs 10 lakh to be paid to the family of each deceased person.