At least 36 killed at actor-politician Vijay's rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur after stampede

A massive campaign rally by Tamil actor-turned-politician Vijay's party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), ended in tragedy on Saturday evening (27 September) when a sudden crowd surge left at least 36 people dead and around 40 injured in India's Karur district in the western part of the state.

The death toll included at least 16 women, nine men and six children, confirmed Tamil Nadu health minister Ma Subramanian.

The incident, described as a stampede by the district administration, occurred at Velusamypuram on the Karur–Erode highway, where thousands had gathered for Vijay's 'Velicham Veliyeru' ('Let There Be Light') campaign meeting. He was addressing the audience when chaos broke out, forcing him to halt his speech.

How chaos broke out at Vijay's rally

Eyewitnesses said the trouble began around 7.45pm when large sections of the crowd, eager to catch a glimpse of Vijay, surged towards the stage barricades. Several people fainted in the suffocating rush.

In the melee, children were separated from their families, and many were trampled before volunteers and police could intervene. Live television footage showed Vijay pausing his speech, distributing water bottles to fainting supporters, and requesting police help.

At one point, the actor was seen calling out to locate a missing child amid the chaos.

Ambulances had difficulty navigating the jammed ground. Volunteers eventually formed human chains to carve pathways for the injured. Many were rushed to Karur District Headquarters Hospital, while others were referred to Erode and Tiruchirappalli medical colleges.

Toll may rise as TVK's Karur rally drew crowds beyond estimates

District officials at first confirmed that 10 people had died, with the toll later rising as hospitals filed their reports. At least 30 injured had fractures and respiratory distress.

Police sources said the Karur rally attracted a crowd far beyond initial estimates.

Though permissions were granted for around 30,000 participants, local reports suggested nearly 60,000 people converged on Velusamypuram from surrounding districts, many travelling on foot, tractors, and buses.

The venue had already been shifted once.

Originally planned in central Karur, it was moved after police warned of congestion and traffic risks.

Velusamypuram was considered a safer, more open site, yet the sheer volume of attendees overwhelmed the space.

Several senior TVK functionaries addressed the gathering before Vijay took the stage. Leaders, including Bussy Anand, former Vijay Makkal Iyakkam coordinator, and Karur district in-charge K Ramesh spoke briefly, warming up the audience.

The frenzy peaked only when Vijay appeared, with supporters pushing forward in waves to get closer.

Restrictions were in place, proved inadequate

Ahead of the rally, Karur police had imposed a list of restrictions: no roadshows, no unauthorised LED screens, no multiple stages, and mandatory barricades around the dais. Organisers were asked to ensure separate entry and exit points, and volunteers were tasked with crowd management.

However, senior officers admitted privately that the controls proved inadequate.

"The turnout was much larger than projected. The entry points became chokeholds. The stage barricades could not handle the surge," a police source said.

Local Tamil dailies reported that police had objected to the lack of buffer zones around the stage. Some volunteers allegedly encouraged people to move forward when Vijay began speaking, worsening the crush.

Inquiry on: Video evidence being examined

The district administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry. A senior official said, "We will fix responsibility once video evidence and testimonies are studied. Crowd-control failures appear evident."

Tamil Nadu ministers confirmed the casualties late Saturday and announced immediate relief measures.

A solatium of ₹5 lakh each for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured is under consideration, sources said.

How politicians have reacted

Chief Minister MK Stalin is expected to visit Karur on Sunday.

In Chennai, opposition AIADMK and BJP leaders accused the ruling DMK government and TVK of negligence.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami said, "This tragic loss of lives was avoidable. Proper safety measures were not in place."

TVK leaders expressed grief but defended their preparations. Party spokesperson Bussy Anand said, "We had followed all police instructions. The love for Vijay anna brought people in such numbers. We deeply mourn the lives lost."

For Vijay's party, why Karur rally held much significance

At the centre of both the frenzy and the fallout is Vijay, 51, one of Tamil cinema's biggest stars.

Known as 'Thalapathy' (commander) to millions of fans, he launched the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (Party for Tamil Nadu's Victory) earlier this year. His entry shook Tamil Nadu politics, long dominated by the DMK and AIADMK, both parties with deep roots in cinema-politics culture.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, TVK surprised many by polling close to 10% of the vote share, especially among first-time voters.

Analysts described Vijay's rise as the beginning of a third axis in Tamil Nadu politics.

The Karur rally was part of a state-wide tour to consolidate grassroots networks before the 2026 assembly elections.

The "Velicham Veliyeru" campaign has drawn crowds of unprecedented size across Tamil Nadu, echoing the frenzy of MG Ramachandran's (MGR) rallies in the 1970s.

But with size comes risk. Security experts had already flagged safety gaps at previous TVK events in Madurai and Coimbatore, where makeshift barricades collapsed under fan pressure. Saturday's tragedy, many observers say, was a disaster foretold.

Similar frenzy, deaths earlier in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu's history of cinema-politics crossovers has often been marked by mega rallies, but not without consequences.

In December 2004, a similar surge at a Jayalalithaa meeting in Kumbakonam left several injured. More recently, in 2019, a stampede at a Jallikattu viewing stand in Pudukottai killed three.

"The cult of personality and the desire to 'see' their leader drives people to dangerous extremes," said political sociologist A Narayanan, "Event management in such contexts must be professional, not left to volunteers."

For Vijay, the tragedy came as his political movement was gathering momentum. His image as a people's leader will now be tested against questions of organisational discipline and accountability.

For the state, the incident has revived urgent debates about regulating political rallies in Tamil Nadu, where celebrity-driven politics regularly draws crowds in the tens of thousands.

A grieving Karur mother who lost her 12-year-old daughter summed up the day's horror: "We came to see Vijay sir, but we are taking back only silence."