Shoes, chappals, crushed water bottles, torn party flags...: A celebration turns into mourning

Karur (Tamil Nadu): Thousands of supporters of actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay gathered on a busy arterial road in Karur on Saturday, eager to see their hero. What began as a hopeful day quickly descended into tragedy when poor crowd management and confusion sparked a deadly stampede, killing 39 people and injuring many more.

The panic and mismanagement also led to the heartbreaking death of a nine-year-old girl named Ashmika.

Among the victims were three members of the same family, including a prospective bride and groom, Akash and Gokulasree, who had come to show their support for Vijay. Fans had travelled from across Tamil Nadu, with many bringing children, pregnant women, and college students in attendance. Some endured long hours under the hot sun without food or water, waiting for a glimpse of the actor.

Inside Karur government hospital, staff were overwhelmed by the constant arrival of ambulances ferrying injured victims. Police officers assisted by carrying those in need to treatment wards. Families who had lost children were inconsolable, their grief poignantly displayed as they clutched motionless little ones.

The government confirmed the deaths of 39 individuals, including 12 men, 16 women, and 10 children.

At the mortuary, relatives wailed through the night, their piercing sobs audible even near the entrance.

Vijay’s delayed arrival, seven hours later than the announced 11am, left the crowd exhausted and restless. When he finally appeared, he left without engaging meaningfully with those who had waited so long, leaving many feeling abandoned. Rather than console and support the deceased and injured, the actor-politician made a quick exit, departing the venue and avoiding reporters waiting for him at Tiruchirappalli and Chennai airports.

Scenes of tragedy leave people in shock

Mounds of shoes and sandals, crushed water bottles, torn party flags, scraps of clothing, broken poles, and shredded paper from party poppers littered the scene early on Sunday morning. Residents out for a walk or on errands struggled to comprehend the tragedy that had unfolded the night before.

Many who had gone to bed early or had not heard the news were shocked to learn about the death toll.

Groups of elderly men stood in disbelief near the barricaded stampede site, marked off with ‘Police - Do Not Cross’ tape, asking photojournalists for details. Despite a TVK flag still fluttering high above the venue and oversized speakers and lights lying abandoned amid torn party posters and publicity materials, TVK workers and office-bearers remained tight-lipped about what went wrong.

Eyewitnesses describe chaos

One young man who had been in the crowd and escaped with difficulty described how several people were pushed into a low-lying sewer near the road as the desperate scramble to escape turned chaotic. “As fans were chanting Vijay’s name, several did not realise that it was a stampede and that people fell down. Many who happened to place their legs on people who fell down also got tripped and fell,” he told reporters.

Opinions varied over the cause of the disaster, with no clear conclusion on whether overcrowding or the choice of venue was primarily to blame. Ever since Vijay launched his state-wide tour on September 13, crowds had swelled, creating increasingly unsafe conditions.

At the venue, people forced aside tin sheets used as barricades, while many climbed onto thatched roof structures, only to fall and injure themselves. Police resorted to baton charges to regain control, but in the crush, children and adults alike struggled to comprehend the unfolding chaos.

A senior citizen in his seventies lamented the loss of life, saying he had “never seen so many people getting killed in a stampede at a political party’s event” and blamed the younger generation’s eagerness to catch a glimpse of the actor.

Roughly an hour after the stampede, police carried out another lathi charge to disperse remaining crowds at the site.

Eyewitness Nanda Kumar described the scene: “We were there ourselves. Nothing could be done to control the crowd. He (Vijay) had said he would arrive in Karur by 11am, and everyone was informed. But when he came, it was much delayed. We pray for those injured. But beyond that, such incidents must never happen again.”

The tragedy left deep scars on families. One survivor shared his anguish: “My brother has two sons. His elder son died. We don’t know where his younger son is. My brother’s wife is in ICU. I don’t know what to do. My son’s eye is injured.”

The event, intended to mark Vijay’s political debut with a show of strength, instead exposed glaring failures in planning and safety measures. Attendees described it as the “most disorganised event,” lamenting the lack of basic facilities like drinking water and adequate crowd control.

 

A survivor recalled the terrifying moments, likening the chaos to a “human flood.”

The Karur stampede has raised urgent questions about accountability and the need for stringent safety protocols at large public gatherings, especially those involving high-profile figures. Fans who came to support their leader were met with chaos, suffering, and silence, a devastating outcome that demands accountability and reform.

(with PTI inputs)