The death toll from the tragic stampede at TVK leader and actor Vijay’s campaign rally in Karur climbed to 41 on Monday morning, after a 65-year-old woman, Suguna, succumbed to her injuries at the Karur Government Medical College Hospital. Officials confirmed that among the victims were 18 women and 10 children, highlighting the scale of the devastation. The youngest victim was a two-year-old boy, while the oldest was a 60-year-old man. Families of the deceased collected the bodies, which were transported to their native places in free hearse vehicles arranged by authorities. Many of the victims were women in their 30s and men in their 20s and 30s, underscoring the heavy toll on young families.
The stampede occurred on Saturday night when tens of thousands had gathered under the sweltering heat for Vijay’s rally. Tamil Nadu DGP G Venkataraman stated that the tragedy was triggered by Vijay’s delayed arrival, as the restless crowd had been waiting for hours without adequate food and water. The situation worsened after TVK’s official social media handle announced that Vijay would arrive by noon, leading to a sudden surge of people toward the stage. “Our intention is not to assign blame, but to explain the circumstances that led to this tragedy,” the DGP said, while assuring that police would review the lapses to prevent such disasters in the future.
Amid the grief in Karur, fresh tensions erupted in Chennai as a bomb threat was reported at Vijay’s residence on East Coast Road, Neelankarai, on Monday. Police sources said that an anonymous caller alerted authorities about a possible explosive device on the premises. Security forces rushed to the site, cordoning off the area while a bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs conducted extensive checks inside and outside the property. As of now, no explosives have been found, but officials confirmed that investigations are ongoing. The twin developments—the stampede tragedy and the security scare—have cast a shadow over the political momentum of Vijay’s TVK party as it faces mounting public scrutiny.
