India mourns 31 dead after deadly crowd surge at Tamil Nadu political rally

At least 31 people were killed and dozens were injured after a sudden crowd surge triggered chaos at a campaign rally of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and actor Vijay in Tamil Nadu, India, on the night of September 27.

State Health Minister Ma Subramanian confirmed that the victims included 16 women, nine men and six children. More than 40 people remain hospitalised, many of them in critical condition, including three children admitted to intensive care, Caliber.Az reports via Indian media.

The rally, held at Velusamipuram, began around 7:20 p.m. and initially drew a festive atmosphere with thousands gathering to hear Vijay speak. However, panic erupted when a sudden power outage plunged the venue into near darkness. The tightly packed crowd swayed and surged forward, creating a stampede-like situation.

Witnesses described harrowing scenes of parents carrying unconscious children and elderly women collapsing in the heat and overcrowding. Rescue efforts were hampered by blocked exits and the sheer density of the crowd. Ambulances lined up outside the venue, transporting the injured to the Karur Government Medical College Hospital, which officials described as resembling a “war zone” as doctors worked through the night.

Police, led by Karur Superintendent of Police K. Josh Thangiah, worked to stabilise the site and clear routes for emergency vehicles. Additional DGP (Law and Order) Davidson Devasirvatham was deployed to oversee security and crowd control.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who monitored the situation from Chennai, directed immediate relief measures and dispatched Ministers Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and Ma Subramanian to Karur to oversee hospital care. Stalin is scheduled to visit the district on Sunday to meet the injured and review the relief efforts.

Former minister V. Senthil Balaji also visited the injured and assessed emergency facilities. The state government has pledged full support to the families of the victims.

Before the tragedy, Vijay had been addressing local grievances, including illegal sand mining and mineral theft, while criticising the state government and predicting a change of power within six months. But the celebratory mood quickly turned into chaos as panic spread through the venue.

Questions are now being raised over crowd management and safety measures at large political gatherings in the state.

By Khagan Isayev