Karur Stampede: Death Toll Goes up to 38, Delay in Vijay's Arrival Led to Swelling Crowd, says TN DGP - Latest Updates

The death toll from Saturday’s stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur rose to 38, Tamil Nadu DGP said pointing to overcrowding, delays, and lack of basic amenities as causes behind the tragedy. Director General of Police G Venkataraman said the crowd swelled well beyond expectations after Vijay's party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), announced on social media that he would arrive at noon. Permission had been granted for the event between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m., but the actor arrived only at 7:40 p.m, the DGP said."The crowd surged because people were waiting in the hot sun without sufficient food and water," Venkataraman told reporters in Chennai. "An unfortunate and regrettable incident has happened. As per the latest information,

38 persons have died — 12 men, 16 women and 10 children," he said, as quoted by PTI. Organisers had expected around 10,000 people, but police estimated that nearly 27,000 turned up. "Our intention is not to blame anyone, we are just stating the facts," the police chief said.

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Asked about security arrangements, Venkataraman said approximately 500 officers were on duty at the venue, which was set up on a public road. "More police cover would have meant less space for people," he said.He added that two days earlier, a major party rally had also been held in the same area, and police had given protection anticipating 20,000 attendees. The government has announced a Commission of Inquiry to determine the exact cause of the stampede.Additional police reinforcements have since been deployed, including the state's Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), three inspector generals, two deputy inspector generals, 10 superintendents of police and 2,000 officers.

38 bodies identified, says Collector

The bodies of 38 people who died due to stampede at the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's rally have been identified and currently efforts were on to hand over their mortal remains to their relatives, Dindigul district collector S Saravanan said, reports PTI. The identify of a woman was yet to be established, he said."Currently, the work to identify this woman was on and once it was done, we would follow the due procedure of conducting a post-mortem and hand over the body to her relatives," he said.Of the deceased, 14 have been handed over to their relatives so far, Saravanan told reporters here.Director of Medical Education, Dr Suganthi Rajakumari, said the condition of two persons who were admitted on September 27 continued to remain in critical and efforts were on to revive them. To a question, she told reporters here that all government facilities had adequate supplies of oxygen and medicines and that the patients were being provided the best treatment."Totally, we received 39 bodies at the GH and post-mortem was performed on 31 persons. Two persons are in a critical condition," Rajakumari said.

CM Stalin and Vijay React

Chief Minister MK Stalin flew to Karur shortly after the incident. He visited the Government Medical College and Hospital, spoke to doctors treating the injured and comforted families of the victims. Stalin also paid floral tributes to those who died."The anguish caused by the wails of the kin of those killed and their tears has not gone away from my heart," Stalin said. Helplines were announced for families seeking assistance from the district administration.

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Vijay, who did not address the media at Tiruchirappalli and Chennai airports, expressed his grief late Saturday in a post on X. "My heart has broken. I am in unbearable, inexplicable pain and grief," he wrote. The actor-politician said he prayed for the recovery of those injured and extended sympathies to the families of "my dear brothers and sisters killed in Karur."