Dozens killed in stampede at Tamil Nadu rally for actor-turned-politician Vijay; Modi orders investigation

Dozens were killed, eight of them children, and more than 50 people were injured when a crowd stampede broke out at a political rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur district on Saturday, health officials said. The gathering was part of a campaign stop for Tamil actor and politician Vijay, whose real name is Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, who leads the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party. The incident occurred as thousands of supporters pressed toward the bus from which Vijay was addressing the crowd during a longer tour of Tamil Nadu.

Senior district police official V Selvaraj said 31 people died and more than 50 were hospitalised as authorities battled to manage the scene and triage the injured. A separate report from a state lawmaker, Senthil Balaji, indicated that about 58 people were hospitalised. The scale of the crush prompted a rapid response from local hospitals and emergency services, with doctors and nurses deployed to treat victims at facilities in Karur and nearby towns. It was estimated that more than 30,000 people had gathered for Vijay's speech after an earlier rally in Namakkal.

Vijay arrived in the nearby city of Tiruchirappalli several hours after the crush, avoiding media interaction at the airport, and he has not issued a public statement about the incident. He is not currently scheduled to address the press as investigators and officials begin to piece together how the stampede unfolded.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences on social media, calling the incident deeply saddening and saying his thoughts were with the families who lost loved ones and with those injured. Modi also wished a swift recovery to the injured as the government and medical teams mobilized to aid those affected.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said he would visit Karur on Sunday to oversee the response, and he announced that ministers and other officials had been directed to provide urgent medical aid at the rally site and to dispatch additional support from Tiruchirappalli. The state said 44 doctors from Tiruchirappalli and Salem were sent to assist emergency workers.

The tragedy has focused attention on crowd management at TVK events, raising questions about safety measures at large political rallies. Earlier this month, Vijay’s rally in Tiruchirappalli sparked a six-hour traffic jam as crowds overwhelmed city infrastructure, prompting police to impose safety restrictions on future rallies, including bans on convoys and on public receptions. Officials advised that vulnerable individuals consider following events online rather than attending in person.

TVK has said authorities are unfairly targeting the party, and the Madras High Court has signaled it will scrutinize accountability should a disaster occur at a campaign event, underscoring Vijay’s role as party president in coordinating crowd management. The court has asked who would bear responsibility in the event of a disaster.

Stampedes related to large religious and political gatherings are not unheard of in India, where managing crowds in high-density events is a persistent challenge. Earlier this year, a deadly crush occurred at a large Hindu pilgrimage to the Ganges during a January festival, and last year a massive crowd surge at a festival in Uttar Pradesh killed more than 120 people. Tamil Nadu health authorities and the Stalin government have said they are reviewing safety protocols and crowd-control plans to prevent a repeat of Saturday’s tragedy.

As the investigation begins, officials are calling on the public to cooperate with police efforts to restore order and assist with medical and logistical needs. The state health ministry and the chief minister’s office have been contacted for comment as plak events and public safety policies are reassessed in the wake of the Karur stampede.