Karur: The death toll from the devastating stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) campaign rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur has climbed to 41, after a 65-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries in the early hours of Monday. The incident, which occurred on Saturday evening in Veluchamipuram, continues to send shockwaves across the country as the community grapples with the scale of the loss.
The tragedy unfolded as thousands of supporters gathered to see party leader Vijay, who was campaigning for the state Assembly elections. After finishing a program in Namakkal, he arrived at the Karur venue around 8 pm, where the overwhelming crowd density triggered a fatal crush. Initial reports indicated over 30 deaths on the spot, with ambulances rushing the injured and unconscious to the Karur Government Hospital.
A Search for a Missing Mother Ends in Tragedy
The latest victim has been identified as Sukuna, a 65-year-old woman from Velusamipuram and the wife of Nallusamy. Her family had been searching for her intensively since she failed to return home after the rally on Saturday night. It was only later that they discovered she was among those critically injured and receiving treatment at the government hospital. Her death without responding to treatment pushed the official fatality count from 40 to 41. The victims of the Karur tragedy now include 10 children, 19 women, and 12 men. So far, 34 of the bodies have been formally identified by grieving relatives.
Meanwhile, authorities reported that seven survivors are currently being treated in the intensive care unit, with two of them remaining in a critical condition. The state’s political leadership has responded to the catastrophe, with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin cut travelled to Karur overnight and visited the hospital. He arrived at the hospital at 3.15 am to pay tribute to the deceased and console the bereaved families. TVK leader Vijay, who had addressed the rally, returned to Chennai via a private flight from Trichy.
Following the tragic Karur rally stampede that killed 40 people, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) has petitioned the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking an independent probe. The party alleges the incident was a targeted sabotage against leader actor Vijay and has requested investigation by the CBI or an SIT. TVK claims stones were thrown and police baton-charged workers, rejecting the state-led inquiry by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan as insufficient. The court will hear the petition on September 29 at 2:15 PM.