Karur: Vijay’s late arrival at the venue, inadequate planning by his party Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), and the lack of sufficient police personnel to control the unruly crowd on a main road in Karur are some of the reasons that led to the stampede that killed 39 people.

Residents of Veluswamy Nagar in Karur, where over 25,000 people had gathered to catch a glimpse of Vijay, said the location was not suitable for a political rally. Eyewitnesses told DH that chaos broke out around 7.10 pm when Vijay’s arrival on the bypass road was announced.

People who had been waiting patiently began jostling with each other to move forward towards the spot where Vijay’s specially designed bus was to halt. Suspension of power supply, done to prevent a catastrophe since unruly fans often climb electric

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