Karur Stampede Tragedy: Death Toll Rises to 41 as Another Victim Succumbs to Injuries

The death toll from the tragic stampede at Tamil actor-turned-politician Vijay’s TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) campaign rally in Karur has risen to 41, after a 65-year-old woman, Sukuna from Velusamipuram, died from her injuries late Sunday night.

Sukuna, who worked at a private company, had initially gone missing after the rally. Her family later located her in critical condition at the Karur Government Hospital’s ICU, but despite doctors’ efforts, she could not be saved.

The fatal incident occurred on Saturday evening at Velayudhampalayam, where a massive crowd had assembled to hear Vijay speak at the campaign event. Witnesses reported that the crowd far exceeded safe capacity. As people surged forward to get closer to the stage, chaos erupted. A brief power outage added to the confusion, leading to a panic-driven stampede.

Many attendees were trapped in narrow exit routes, while others fainted or were pushed to the ground and trampled. Emergency services faced challenges in reaching victims amid the crowd, but ambulances worked overnight to transport the injured to nearby hospitals.

As of Sunday night, 34 bodies had been identified and handed over to families. Over 80 people remain injured, several of them critically. The death toll rose to 41 following Sukuna’s death.

President Droupadi Murmu expressed deep sorrow, saying she was "pained by the tragic loss of lives" and extended condolences to the bereaved.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the tragedy "heart-rending" and announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the PMNRF.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who visited Karur soon after the incident, called it an "unprecedented loss of innocent lives." He announced a ₹10 lakh compensation for each deceased victim’s family and ordered a judicial inquiry led by retired High Court Judge Aruna Jagadeesan to probe possible safety lapses and administrative failures.

Opposition Leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami, while visiting survivors and grieving families, held the state government and police responsible for inadequate crowd control and failure to anticipate the massive turnout.

TVK founder Vijay described the deaths as an "irreparable loss" and expressed that his heart was "overwhelmed with profound heaviness." He announced personal compensation of ₹20 lakh per bereaved family and ₹2 lakh for the injured, assuring continued support to those affected by the tragedy.

Authorities have filed cases and launched a formal investigation into the stampede. Focus has been placed on crowd control measures, event management protocols, and coordination failures. Officials have emphasized the need to overhaul safety guidelines for mass political gatherings in the wake of the incident.