Why Karur stampede is the deadliest political rally tragedy in TN’s history

In what is being called the worst disaster at a political event in Tamil Nadu’s history, the massive stampede at Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay’s election rally in Karur on Saturday (September 27) evening has snuffed out 39 lives while leaving 51 injured.

The tragedy unfolded shortly after the rally ended, as the packed crowd attempted to exit the venue in sweltering heat and overwhelming congestion. Sources told The Federal that the stampede began when people, waiting for long hours at the venue, fainted, and others, unknowingly walked over them to go ahead.

State's first election rally stampede

Tamil Nadu has witnessed stampedes over the decades, some tied to religious gatherings and others to mass public events. However, senior police officials say that the Karur stampede was the first such incident at an election rally that resulted in fatalities. The Kumbakonam Mahamagam (1992) and Thanjavur Brihadeeswarar Temple consecration (1997) were two major stampedes of similar scale, each claiming the lives of nearly 50 people.

Also read: DGP on Karur stampede: 'Vijay arrived at 7 pm; permission was till 5 pm'

Why rally turned chaotic

In the Karur stampede, thousands had gathered to hear Vijay speak in what was billed as a key campaign stop in central Tamil Nadu. As he was delivering his address at 7:30 pm, chaos erupted amid poor crowd control. Many people, who had been waiting since morning, reportedly dehydrated and exhausted, began collapsing. As some fell, the crowd behind them surged forward, unknowingly trampling those on the ground.

CM expresses grief, announces compensation

Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed profound grief and ordered a high-level probe into the stampede. He announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh for the injured. Local police are investigating whether lapses in crowd management and emergency planning contributed to the high toll.

Also read: Stampede at Vijay's Karur rally: All you need to know

So far, 51 people have been admitted to the Karur government hospital with injuries, many of them still recovering but conscious. Karur MP S Jothimani, who rushed to the government hospital upon hearing the tragedy, was visibly emotional after speaking to grieving families.

Rally venue has turned into grave: Karur MP

Speaking to The Federal, the parliamentarian, who was emotional, said she could not console many families who had lost their breadwinners and children.

“Saturday being the salary day for many textile workers, they were about to get back home. Many of them got stuck, and many textile goods lorries could not leave Karur town. The place where the election rally happened has turned into a grave now,” she said, holding back tears.

Also read: Vijay's Karur rally: 'Long waits, poor crowd management triggered stampede'

"I'm shattered. I lost many individuals whom I had known personally. I have no words to console them. The only hope is that the government is in action,” she added.

The Congress MP revealed that many of the injured told her that the stampede began when people fainted due to dehydration. “As the meeting got over, some fell down in the crowd, and many walked over them. That’s how the stampede happened,” she said.

Stampedes in Tamil Nadu

In June 1997, during the consecration of the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, 48 people were killed and over 200 were injured in a stampede. The tragedy occurred when a firecracker reportedly fell on the ‘yajnashala’, a temporary thatched structure, igniting a blaze that quickly spread. Panic-stricken devotees rushed toward the only exit on the temple's eastern side, triggering a deadly crush.

Also read: Vijay rally stampede: CM Stalin announces Rs 10 lakh payout, forms probe panel

In 1992, during the Mahamagam festival in Kumbakonam, a religious stampede claimed over 50 lives when thousands of devotees gathered to take a holy dip. The then chief minister Jayalalithaa and her aide Sasikala were present at the temple for the ritual. The overwhelming pressure from the crowd near the tank caused people to fall and get trampled, sending shockwaves across the state.