Karur: The deadly stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur district on Saturday evening claimed at least 34 lives including (6 children, 19 women) was not a sudden accident but the tragic culmination of a day marked by ignored warnings and a repeated failure to manage frenzied crowds. The tragedy unfolded after a series of chaotic events at earlier campaign stops, which should have served as a stark warning to the party leadership. Despite clear signs of inadequate crowd control, no substantive measures were taken to prevent a larger disaster, leading to one of the worst political rally stampedes in Tamil Nadu’s recent history.
The day’s first red flag emerged during Vijay’s afternoon rally in Namakkal, where a surging crowd led to numerous injuries, including women suffering broken legs and blood injuries. Many were rushed to the hospital with serious wounds. This incident provided a critical opportunity for the TVK organizers to reassess their security and crowd management plans for the evening rally in Karur. However, this warning was reportedly unheeded. By the time Vijay arrived in Karur, a massive, uncontrollable crowd had already gathered, with fans reportedly climbing trees, towers, and walls, creating a volatile situation that mirrored previous rallies but on a more dangerous scale.
How Vijay’s Campaign Schedule Culminated in Karur Stampede
A detailed timeline of the day’s events reveals a campaign schedule that was significantly behind from the start, leading to dangerous conditions that were fatally exacerbated when the leader’s convoy attempted to navigate through a dense sea of people. The actor, who was permitted to speak in Namakkal at 8:45 AM, did not leave his Chennai residence until that very time, setting off a chain reaction of delays that tested the patience of thousands of supporters.
Vijay’s late departure from Chennai meant he arrived at Trichy airport only at 9:30 AM, from where he commenced a road journey to Namakkal. What should have been a relatively short trip stretched for hours, with the politician reaching the rally point only at 2:45 PM—a full six hours after the scheduled start time. Throughout this delay, a massive crowd of volunteers and fans, who had been gathering since the early morning, was left waiting without food or water under the sun. This prolonged wait led to a precarious situation, with reports of many individuals, including women, fainting due to exhaustion and heat, creating an environment ripe for a disaster even before the main event began.
A Rushed Exit from Namakkal and a Perilous Journey to Karur
After addressing the beleaguered crowd in Namakkal, Vijay reportedly left for Karur around 3:45 PM. The journey itself was slow, hampered by crowds along the route, and it was not until 6:30 PM that his convoy approached the Karur rally site. By this time, the crowd in Karur had also been waiting for many hours, their anticipation and physical strain reaching a peak. The stage was set for a catastrophe, with a vast, fatigued, and emotionally charged mass of people packed tightly together.
The Fatal Decision: Bus Entry into the Crowd Triggers Catastrophe
The critical error that directly triggered the stampede was the decision to allow Vijay’s large 60-foot campaign bus to enter the 100-foot wide road where the immense crowd was waiting. Instead of using a safer, alternative access point, the bus attempted to push through the throng. This action caused a sudden and violent surge, as people scrambled to get closer to the vehicle or were pushed off their feet by the pressure. The inevitable result was that individuals began to fall on top of one another, leading to the fatal crush. This decision to drive the bus directly into the heart of the crowd, combined with the already volatile conditions created by the extensive delays, proved to be a fatal combination, transforming a political rally into a scene of tragedy.