Chennai: "My heart is broken", Tamilaga Vettri Kazahgam (TVK) Founder and actor-turned-neta Vijay said on the tragic stampede at his Karur political rally, that has claimed 39 lives so far.
Hours after the incident, Vijay in an emotional post on X, wrote “My heart is shattered”.
He said he is in “unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow” over the loss of lives.
He extended his deepest condolences to the families of those who died in the tragedy.
The actor-politician also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured and receiving treatment in hospitals, assuring that his thoughts remain with the affected families during this tragic time.
Vijay, who refused to talk to waiting media at the Trichy airport while leaving for Chennai after a brief address at Karur as part of his third leg of his political outreach programme ahead of the Assembly elections, also avoided the media upon his arrival at the Chennai airport late Saturday night.
How stampede occured?
The tragedy occurred immediately after Vijay started leaving the venue after his short address as TVK supporters, cadres and public vied with each other to have a glimpse of him. This was Vijay's third leg of public outreach programme, ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
Officials said the rally venue was narrow, and large crowds began gathering early in the day. Vijay’s delayed arrival, over four hours later after completing a rally in Namakkal, contributed to the chaos. Despite repeated appeals from the actor to avoid bringing children and the elderly, crowds continued to amass. While the area could accommodate around 15,000 people, locals estimate nearly 100,000 had gathered.
Reports said as the event progressed, several people fainted in the crowd and complained of giddiness and breathlessness and were rushed to the Karur Medical College Hospital and private hospitals nearby.
The turnout was so massive and unprecedented and far outnumbered the turnout witnessed in the first leg at Trichyon September 13 and the second leg at Nagpattinam on September 20 and at Namakkal districr earlier in the day, as lakhs of people from various districts, including neighbouring districts have turned up at the rally, that resembled a tsunami of human convergence.
Reports also said that complaints of children missing from the rally venue were also emerging, though it could not be immediately confirmed.
It may be recalled that a similar incident occurred at Bengaluru a couple of months back during the victory celebrations of RCB for winning the maiden IPL title, in which a few people died, leading to the arrest of of KSCA officials. (Inputs from UNI)
