Tamil Nadu: Toll in stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally climbs to 41, judicial probe begins

The toll in the stampede that occurred during actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district on Saturday has reached 41, The Hindu reported on Monday.

Among those who died were 18 women and nine children. Authorities have confirmed the identities of all the victims and the bodies have been handed over to their families.

Till Sunday, 111 persons who were injured were receiving treatment at government and private hospitals in Karur.

The stampede occurred shortly after 7.30 pm at the Veluchamy Puram area, where the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief was speaking from atop his campaign vehicle.

Several of those who attended the rally fainted due to overcrowding. Vijay’s speech was interrupted twice as ambulances were brought in to take those who collapsed.

Some of his supporters had also climbed a tree to get a better view. One of the branches broke, leading them to fall onto the crowd, sparking further chaos.

Earlier in the day, retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan began a judicial probe into the incident, The Hindu reported. She is heading the one-member Commission of Inquiry constituted by the state government to conduct a probe into the stampede

Jagadeesan visited the site of the stampede and subsequently met officials at the Government Medical College Hospital in Karur.

Chief Minister MK Stalin also visited the hospital at around 3.15 am on Sunday. Later in the day. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami visited the hospital and met those who were injured and their families.

Following the stampede, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam approached the Madras High Court seeking suo motu cognisance of the incident.

The party, in its petition, claimed that there were “some conspiracies” at play that led to the stampede. The petition sought a suo motu investigation or a probe by an independent agency.