TIRUCHY: What began as a routine leg of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and actor Vijay's political campaign turned into a tragedy on Saturday evening in Karur, where a massive crowd surge led to a deadly stampede, leaving 40 people dead and several injured.
The chain of events leading to the disaster reveals a mix of poor coordination, crowd mismanagement, and delayed scheduling.
Vijay arrived at Tiruchy International Airport at 9.30 am by a special flight. From there, he proceeded by car toward Namakkal, choosing a route through No 1 Tollgate, Nochiyam, Ayyampalayam, Musiri, Thottiyam, and finally into the Namakkal district.
On the way, at a village near Thottiyam, he switched from the car to his signature campaign vehicle, a modified bus used for his public addresses. However, the plan was already running late.
According to TVK's original schedule, Vijay was supposed to reach the KS Theatre on Salem Road, Namakkal by 8.30 am, but he did not arrive until 2.35 pm, a delay of six hours. The slow movement of his convoy was attributed to the large number of supporters lining the roads, wanting to catch a glimpse of the actor-turned-politician. Fans, families, and cadres welcomed him from multiple points, including Valaiyapatti, Andavar Petrol Bunk, and Ramesh Theatre.
An estimated 20,000 people had gathered in Namakkal, with only 150 police personnel deployed to control the swelling crowd. Vijay gave a brief 20-minute speech, then left for Karur at 2.55 pm.
Speaking to TNIE, a police official from Namakkal said, “The entire delay was caused by Vijay, his cadres, and fans. He deliberately slowed down the vehicle at multiple locations to greet his supporters, and a large number of vehicles followed his convoy. TVK did not inform us about the exact route he would be taking, making it extremely difficult to plan security arrangements. Many of the youth behaved aggressively and did not follow any instructions from the police. While functionaries of other parties usually cooperate with our guidelines, TVK supporters showed complete disregard. Even the top leadership of the party was unable to bring them under control.”
Vijay’s next stop was Karur, travelling via Paramathi, Paramathi Velur, Velayuthampalayam, Manmangalam, and Periyakulathupalayam. The destination was Velusamypuram, where a major public meeting had been scheduled.
According to police sources, the original schedule was unclear, with TVK providing multiple timings-one between 12 to 12.30 pm, and another at 3.00 pm. The local administration had prepared for a crowd of 10,000, but over 30,000 people eventually gathered.
Despite the massive turnout, only 500 police personnel were deployed at the site, a number vastly inadequate for the scale of the event.
Vijay reached Velusamypuram at around 7.00 pm, nearly four hours later than the announced schedule.
By the time Vijay arrived, the crowd had grown restless and chaotic. A large number of supporters, some of whom had followed the campaign vehicle from Tiruchy, Namakkal, and other districts, were already crammed into the open ground. The lack of basic amenities like drinking water, ventilation, and medical support only worsened the situation.
Meanwhile, just 200 to 300 metres away from the venue, crowds were disappointed at not being able to see Vijay because the vehicle's lights were turned off, creating confusion, triggering a forward rush toward the already packed venue. At 7.10 pm, Vijay began his speech.
In the crush, people began to faint from exhaustion and lack of oxygen. Others fell while trying to climb structures for a better view. The surge became uncontrollable. While Vijay was speaking, ambulances were rushed in to aid the injured.
In a desperate attempt to help, Vijay threw water bottles from his campaign vehicle to the crowd as he noticed people fainting. Despite these efforts, the situation worsened. Reports say that TVK cadres clashed with ambulance drivers, accusing them of disrupting the event by entering the crowd without carrying patients.
Amid the escalating tension and visible panic, Vijay abruptly ended his speech, left the venue, and began the return journey to Tiruchy via Kulithalai, Musiri, Ayyappapalayam, Nochiyam, No.1 Tollgate, and finally reached Tiruchy Airport at 9:45 p.m. He then departed for Chennai.
In the aftermath, a police official from Namakkal said that the incident was a result of several compounding factors, including massive crowd turnout, failure to follow safety instructions, and inadequate planning by TVK functionaries. Due to the large crowds, the incident happened. Fans behaved immaturity and even attacked ambulance drivers. Many supporters were from Tiruchy and nearby districts, not just local crowds,”
Following the tragedy, a case was registered against top TVK leaders, including Bussy Anand (State General Secretary), GR Nirmal Kumar (State Deputy General Secretary), and Mathiyalagan (Karur West District Secretary) under sections 105, 110, 125 (b) and 223 of BNS and read with Section 3 of the TNPPDL Act.
While A TVK supporter said, “The tragic incident in Karur was due to poor crowd control and inadequate police deployment. There were only a few hundred police officers for over 30,000 people. The roads were too narrow, and tensions rose when police used lathis to control the crowd. The delay was not intentional, and people kept stopping the convoy to greet Vijay.”
