As Karur crush death toll mounts, why public gatherings in India are prone to stampedes

As the toll mounted in the stampede at a rally addressed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and actor Vijay in Karur on Saturday during the course of his State-wide political tour, there is a familiar script to how the incident unfolded. More than manageable crowds thronging to an event, then a specific trigger – in this case people climbing on to a tree behind Vijay’s van and then falling off it into the crowd, setting off a crush – and the resultant panic leading to a wider stampede. Delays in rescue efforts, again because of the crowd size and the inability of first responders to wade in, further contribute to the toll.

In south India, political rallies generally tend to trigger overcrowding, especially given the number of film actors that have transitioned into politics.