Dozens killed in India stampede during actor-turned-politician rally
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At least 39 people died in a Tamil Nadu stampede during actor-turned-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur, India, with delays and poor planning blamed.
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Relatives of people who were killed in a stampede during a rally for a popular Indian actor and politician mourn as they take the bodies from a hospital, in Karur, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Sunday, September 28, 2025 (AP)
A stampede at a south India political rally killed dozens after a crowd of thousands waited for hours in the baking heat without sufficient safeguards, according to officials and witnesses on Sunday.
Authorities said that after some 27,000 people thronged a public road in Tamil Nadu State in hopes of seeing popular actor-turned-politician Vijay on Saturday, panic broke out and 39 were killed. Witnesses cited hours of delays, insufficient police presence, and people falling from a tree branch onto the audience as factors that contributed to the tragedy.
At least 36 people were killed and more than 50 injured in a stampede at a rally held by Indian actor-politician Vijay, who is campaigning for election https://t.co/N3hX21OHyA pic.twitter.com/itIIKLhVpD
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 27, 2025
Vijay, who is known by one name, was speaking at the rally when the crowd suddenly surged and forced him to stop his speech in Karur district. Shortly before the panic broke out, videos on social media showed him throwing water bottles to his supporters.
Video: TVK Chief Vijay Tosses Water Bottles At Crowd Before Stampede That Killed 38 https://t.co/DhiQQAAynY pic.twitter.com/jzalQWi4ld
— NDTV (@ndtv) September 27, 2025
"My heart is shattered at this tragedy" Vijay, 51-year-old actor turned politician, said in a statement.
State Chief Minister M.K. Stalin told reporters on Sunday that 39 people had died, with nine children among the dead, and announced a judicial enquiry into the disaster.
State police chief G. Venkataraman said that when the public was informed that Vijay would arrive at the venue by noon, crowds had been waiting for hours under the hot sun without sufficient food and water, noting that while 10,000 people were expected, the real turnout was 27,000.
Indian police register case against Vijay
Indian police have registered a criminal case against the leaders of Tamil actor Vijay's political party following the stampede, according to a senior police official, Reuters reported.
Tamil Nadu police have filed a case, which is the initial step toward potential charges, against TVK party senior leaders Bussy Anand, Nirmal Kumar, and V.P. Mathiyalagan, and the investigation is currently underway, according to senior police official V. Selvaraj.
"TVK originally sought permission for a gathering of 10,000 people, but the actual crowd was more than double," Salvaraj stated.
Survivors tell the story
A survivor, B. Kanishka, told The Hindu newspaper that she fainted after being suddenly pushed down in the crush of the crowd, where movement was impossible, stating that "I was pushed down by the crowd all of a sudden. There was absolutely no space to move," and "I subsequently fainted."
Karthick, another survivor, told the publication that the situation could have been avoided if the crowd had not been forced to wait for many consecutive hours. "Poor planning and execution of the programme and lack of police personnel at the spot were also the reason," Karthick stated.
Panic spread through the crowd after supporters fell from a tree branch they had climbed, The Indian Express newspaper reported.
