Fresh details have surfaced about the Karur stampede at Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay’s rally in Tamil Nadu, raising questions about planning and crowd management.
Just days before the incident, party officials had reportedly informed the police in writing that no more than 10,000 people were expected to attend. The letter, dated September 25, 2025, was said to include an engineer’s safety certificate along with a venue map, confirming compliance with capacity and crowd-control norms, Mathrubhumi reported.
The rally was organised in a venue spread across 1,20,000 square feet, with a maximum capacity of nearly 60,000 people. Despite this, the turnout far exceeded expectations.
Tens of thousands gathered to hear Vijay speak, overwhelming the arrangements and leaving organisers and authorities struggling to contain the surging crowd.
As temperatures soared and pressure mounted within the packed space, many attendees fainted, creating panic. Several of those who collapsed were carried out and rushed to nearby hospitals for urgent treatment.
At one point, even Vijay paused his speech when he noticed people fainting. In a bid to calm the situation, he personally handed out water bottles to the distressed crowd before resuming his address. However, reports suggest the atmosphere remained tense, with ambulances struggling to move through the dense gathering.
Acting on Chief Minister M K Stalin’s instructions, DMK district secretary and former minister Senthil Balaji visited the hospital to oversee relief efforts. Health Minister Ma Subramanian was also dispatched to Karur to coordinate medical response for those injured.
In a post on X, CM Stalin expressed concern, writing, “I have contacted former Minister @V_Senthilbalaji, Honorable Minister @Subramanian_Ma and the District Collector to provide immediate treatment to the public who have fainted and been admitted to the hospital due to the crowding.”