Vijay rally stampede: ‘Crowd had been waiting for hours without food and water’

As Tamil Nadu reels from the shock of a deadly stampede at a rally of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay in Karur, police said on Sunday that the turnout was “far higher” than expected.

In an early morning briefing, Director General of Police (DGP) G. Venkatraman noted that Vijay arrived a few hours late at the venue, and the crowd had already been waiting for hours without sufficient food and water.

"The permission for the meeting was given from 3 pm to 10 pm, but crowds started assembling as early as 11 am. By the time Vijay arrived at 7:40 pm., the crowd had already been waiting for hours without sufficient food and water. That is the reality,” the DGP said.

Thirty-nine people— 13 men, 16 women and 10 children—lost their lives in the stampede that broke out around 8 pm when the actor-politician was addressing the huge crowd.

While the organisers had expected 10,000 people, about 27,000 turned up to catch a glimpse of the actor, Venkataraman said.

The officer dismissed allegations of laxity by the police in controlling the crowd and said the reason behind the tragic incident would be revealed only after an enquiry.

“Vijay himself appreciated the police for their role but stressed that party cadres must take responsibility for crowd management. It does not mean the police should deploy numbers equal to the entire crowd of 27,000,” he said.

Stalin meets victims

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin arrived in Karur in the early morning on Sunday and interacted with doctors regarding the treatment being provided to the people injured in the stampede.

Stalin paid floral tribute to those who lost their lives and met the families of the victims.

The chief minister has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the victims and Rs 1 lakh each to those undergoing medical treatment in hospitals.