Death toll rises to 40 in Karur stampede, 67 undergoing treatment

Karur: The death toll from the Karur stampede rose to 40 on Sunday after a man succumbed to injuries at the government hospital, a health official said.

Amid the increasing fatalities, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, led by actor-politician Vijay, approached the Madras High Court Bench in Madurai, seeking an independent investigation into the incident, reported PTI.

While stopping short of alleging any conspiracy, TVK Deputy General Secretary Nirmal Kumar told reporters that the party had filed a petition for an impartial inquiry. “The judge agreed to hear the case tomorrow at 2.15 pm. We will make official our statement thereafter,” he said.

In a message of condolence, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said that an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) would be given to the next of kin of each person who died in the accident. Those injured will receive Rs 50,000 each to support their medical treatment and recovery.

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary P Senthil Kumar said 39 persons died and 67 persons were undergoing treatment as inpatients.

On the hospital admissions, he added that 26 people had been treated in the OPD and discharged, while 67 were admitted as inpatients. “Two of the patients are in critical condition. The others are stable. One patient was shifted to Madurai GH for further treatment,” Senthil Kumar said.

Tamil Nadu DGP G Venkataraman said the massive crowd at actor Vijay’s rally in Karur swelled due to his delayed arrival, with people waiting for hours in the heat without enough food or water.

Among the victims, 27 were from the Karur district. Two each hailed from Erode, Dindigul and Tiruppur, and one from Salem. Emur village in Karur suffered a particularly grievous blow: five residents -- Priyadarshini and her young daughter Tharanika, Chandra, Arukkani and 10-year-old Prithik -- were among the deceased.

He said the crowd began to push forward after TVK’s official handle on X announced that Vijay would reach the venue at 12 noon. “Permission (for the meeting) was sought for between 3 pm-10 pm. The TVK Twitter account said he will come at 12 and crowd started coming in from 11 am. He came at 7.40 pm. The people lacked sufficient food water under the hot sun,” he noted.

“Our intention is not to blame anyone, but we are just stating the facts,” the DGP added. Venkataraman further said Vijay was welcomed at one point, and a huge number of supporters followed him. Police escorted him into the venue without incident.

“He also lauded the police...the crowd kept swelling,” he said. According to the DGP, while organisers expected 10,000 people, nearly 27,000 attended the rally. Security arrangements were made keeping 20,000 in mind, he added.

Asked about police strength, he explained that as the venue was a public road, “if more police cover had been arranged, people would not have had sufficient space.” He pointed out that just two days earlier, another “big party” had conducted a meeting at the same location, indirectly referring to the AIADMK. On being asked about “security lapses,” Venkataraman said the government had already announced a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the cause.

He stressed that the organisers had been warned about possible crowd issues and said the police presence was only meant as “extra help.” Currently, ADGP (Law and Order) Davidson Devasirvatham, three IGPs, two DIGs, 10 SPs and 2,000 personnel have been sent to Karur for reinforcement, he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF for the families of each deceased, and ₹50,000 for the injured. He conveyed the announcement in a post on the social media platform X.