What really happened at Karur? Death toll climbs to 39 after Vijay’s TVK rally spirals out of control

A campaign rally for Tamil superstar-turned-politician Vijay ended in horror Saturday night as a stampede killed at least 39 people, including nine children, and injured over 150 in Karur, Tamil Nadu.

The chaos—triggered by a tree collapse and massive overcrowding—erupted moments after Vijay began speaking, in what is now one of the worst political rally disasters in recent Indian history.

The mayhem began around 7:30 pm when supporters, some perched on a tree for a better view of Vijay’s van-mounted stage, came crashing down onto the packed crowd after the branches gave way. The sudden fall, about 50 meters from the stage, sparked panic that swept through the 27,000-strong crowd, far exceeding the 10,000 originally expected.

Many attendees, dehydrated and standing since 10 am, were crushed in the stampede. Women and children collapsed, while ambulances struggled to reach victims through the crowd.

Shockingly, Vijay continued speaking briefly, unaware of the scale of the unfolding tragedy. He later halted the rally, handed out water bottles to stricken fans, and appealed for police help. By 11 pm, he had returned to Chennai. Police said he was informed of the deaths during a stop in Trichy but did not speak to the media.

In a post on X, Vijay wrote: “My heart is broken; I am in unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow. I offer my deepest sympathies.”

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin confirmed the death toll and rushed to Trichy around 1 am. “All available doctors must report immediately,” Health Minister Ma Subramaniam ordered. The government announced ₹10 lakh compensation per victim and deployed ministers and senior officers to oversee relief.

Top officials, including DGP G. Venkatraman, confirmed that TVK had requested permission for 10,000, but 27,000 turned up, many lured by a social media post suggesting Vijay’s early arrival. Police say crowd control protocols failed. “It was chaos long before he got there,” a senior officer said.

The rally capped a day of high-octane campaigning, during which Vijay had publicly taunted Chief Minister Stalin, accusing the DMK government of cutting his mic and restricting his gestures. “Oh my god, this is semma comedy,” Vijay said in Trichy days earlier.

In Karur, he thanked the police early in his speech—but ended by blaming them for unnecessary restrictions.

A judicial inquiry led by retired judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan will investigate the tragedy. Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry has sought a report, with Amit Shah personally calling Stalin to offer central assistance.