The death toll from Saturday night’s stampede at actor-politician Vijay's rally in Karur rose to 41 on Monday morning.
A 65-year-old woman, Suguna, succumbed to injuries at the Karur Government Medical College Hospital, officials confirmed. Among the 41 dead, 18 were women and 10 were children.
The bodies of the victims were handed over to their families after identification by their relatives. The youngest victim was two-year-old V Guru Vishnu of Velusamypuram in Karur while the oldest was a 60-year-old man.
Among the deceased women, most were in their 30s, while the men who died were in their 20s and 30s. The bodies were transported to their respective native place in free hearse vehicles.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in the district of Karur on Saturday to attend the TVK rally, amid sweltering heat.
Tamil Nadu DGP G Venkataraman on Sunday said that the stampede was triggered by Vijay's delayed arrival.
The DGP noted that the swelling crowd had been waiting for hours in the scorching sun without sufficient food and water, leading to these deaths in the tragic incident. He added that a surge in the crowd occurred after the official Twitter handle of Vijay’s TVK party announced he would arrive at the venue by noon. "Our intention is not to blame anyone, but we are just stating the facts," the DGP said.
Meanwhile, a bomb threat was reported earlier today at the East Coast Road (ECR), Neelankarai residence of TVK chief, Vijay.
According to police sources, an anonymous caller informed authorities about the presence of an explosive device at the property.
Following the alert, Chennai police rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area. A bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs have been deployed to conduct a thorough sweep of the premises, both inside and outside.
As of now, no explosive material has been recovered. Officials confirmed that a detailed investigation is underway.
More details awaited.