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At least 36 dead and more than 50 injured in crush at Vijay rally in India At least 39 dead and more than 40 injured in crush at Vijay rally in India
(about 13 hours later)
Victims include eight children at election campaign gathering in Tamil Nadu led by popular actor and politician Victims include nine children at election campaign gathering in Tamil Nadu led by popular actor and politician
At least 36 people have been killed and more than 50 injured in a crush at a rally for a popular actor and politician in India. Police in India have opened a criminal case against the leaders of a party headed by the actor turned politician Vijay, after a crowd crush at one of his rallies killed 39 people and injured at least 40 others.
The health minister in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Ma Subramanian, told the Associated Press late on Saturday that the victims, including eight children, were dead by the time they arrived at hospital. Local officials reported that nine children had died at the rally, which took place on Saturday night in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. Vijay, one of the most popular and successful actors in Tamil cinema, who entered politics last year, was addressing the crowd for his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party before state elections early next year.
The injured were in a stable condition, he added. Tamil Nadu police launched the case, which is the first step toward potential charges, against three TVK party leaders, a senior official told Reuters. “TVK originally sought permission for a gathering of 10,000 people, but the actual crowd was more than double,” Tamil Nadu police officer V Selvaraj told the news agency. Vijay, whose birth name is Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar but who is widely known by the one name, was not included in the list of three people.
The rally was being addressed by Tamil actor Vijay, who is campaigning for election, Tamil Nadu’s chief minister, MK Stalin, said. Indian media reports, quoting local officials, said that as Vijay spoke to the crowd, a group of his supporters and fans had fallen while trying to get close to his bus, leading to the deadly crush. Supporters had gathered at the rally amid intensely hot temperatures and Vijay arrived hours late, officials said.
Vijay, one of Tamil cinema’s most bankable actors for three decades, has drawn large crowds to his public meetings since launching his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, in 2024, which has targeted both the state ruling party DMK and prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party. He is campaigning ahead of state elections that are to be held in early 2026. Tamil Nadu’s chief minister, MK Stalin, told reporters on Sunday that 39 people had died, after an earlier toll of 36. Nine children were among the dead, he said.
The 51-year-old said on X that his “heart is shattered” at the tragedy, adding: “I extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of my dear brothers and sisters who lost their lives in Karur.” The state’s head of police, G Venkataraman, said crowds had been waiting for hours under hot sun without sufficient food and water, having been informed that Vijay would arrive at the venue by noon.
Videos from local media show thousands of people surrounding a large campaign vehicle on top of which Vijay is seen standing and speaking. “The crowds started coming in from 11am. He came at 7.40 pm. The people lacked sufficient food and water under the hot sun,” he told reporters.
During the rally, visuals showed Vijay throwing water bottles from the top of the vehicle to fainting supporters and calling for police help when the crowd became uncontrollable. He added that 10,000 people had been expected but approximately 27,000 turned up.
Modi said the incident was “deeply saddening”. Tamil Nadu’s health minister, Ma Subramanian, told the Associated Press that the victims were dead by the time they were taken to hospital and that the injured were stable.
“My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. Wishing strength to them in this difficult time,” he said in a statement on social media. Vijay has drawn massive crowds since launching his party in February last year, after retiring from acting.
Crushes are relatively common in India when large crowds gather. In January, at least 30 people were killed as tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to bathe in a sacred river during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival, the world’s largest religious gathering. The Press Trust of India news agency, quoting officials, reported that at least 30 people fainted while Vijay was addressing the rally from the top of his campaign vehicle and were rushed in ambulances to local hospitals.
In July last year, 121 people were killed in the northern Uttar Pradesh state during a Hindu religious gathering. Videos on social media showed him tossing water bottles to supporters shortly before the panic broke out. He halted his speech midway when workers raised the alarm after noticing that people were fainting and falling down, the news agency said, adding that as they were taken to hospital, Vijay continued his speech.
And 11 fans were crushed to death this June in Bengaluru during celebrations for the local team’s first Indian Premier League title. However, he ended his speech shortly after sensing an abnormal situation in part of the huge gathering, the news agency said.
It is also not the first time Vijay’s rallies have been the subject of safety concerns. At least six deaths were reported by media following the first meeting of his political party when it was launched in October last year. “My heart is shattered by this tragedy,” the 51-year old star wrote on social media. “I am writhing in unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow that words cannot express.”
Despite police-imposed restrictions, including limits on convoy size and venue changes, the sheer scale of public turnout has repeatedly overwhelmed local infrastructure. The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, said the “unfortunate incident” was “deeply saddening”.
“My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. Wishing strength to them in this difficult time. Praying for a swift recovery to all those injured,” he said on social media.
Tamil Nadu has appointed a commission led by a retired judge to investigate the causes of the crowd crush.
Such tragedies are relatively common in India, where crowd safety measures at large gatherings are poor. In January at least 30 people were killed and scores injured in crowd crushes at the Hindu Kumbh Mela festival.
Reuters, Associated Press and Agence-France Presse contribute to this report.