Karur stampede: DGP cites Vijay’s delay, swelling crowds, lack of food and water as reason behind 39 deaths

Tamil Nadu DGP G Venkatraman on Sunday said the fatal stampede at actor-turned-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur, which claimed 39 lives, was triggered by the TVK chief’s delayed arrival.

Calling it an “unfortunate” incident, the police chief said people had gathered in sweltering heat with little food and water, leading to exhaustion and chaos as the crowd swelled.

“Even though permission was sought for 10,000 people, we knew the crowd would exceed that,” Venkatraman told reporters. He added that TVK’s social media handles announced Vijay’s arrival hours earlier than he actually showed up, which prompted a surge in attendees.

Permission was granted for a 1.2 lakh sq ft venue that recently hosted an AIADMK rally. While organisers expected 10,000, officials said at least 50,000 turned up