A tragic stampede at a large political gathering in Karur, southern India, has claimed the lives of at least 39 people. According to local media reports citing Tamil Nadu’s Health Minister, Ma. Subramanian, the deceased include a minimum of ten children.
The incident occurred as tens of thousands of people had gathered in Karur to attend a speech by popular actor and politician Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, known as Vijay. Organizers were unprepared for the scale of the crowd, which significantly exceeded the anticipated attendance of over 30,000. Witnesses described chaotic scenes as attendees surged toward a speaker’s platform situated on a bus.
The speech, delivered by Vijay, who is affiliated with the regional Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party, commenced more than six hours behind schedule. The continued influx of people led to an increasingly uncontrollable situation.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sadness regarding the disaster. Similar incidents involving large crowds have regrettably occurred at major religious festivals and other public events across India in the past. Investigations are anticipated to determine the circumstances and potential contributing factors leading to the tragic event.