TN Stampede Toll Rises to 38: Crowds Surged Due to Vijay's Delayed Arrival, Says DGP

Victims included 10 children; Over 27,000 turned up despite organisers expecting 10,000

PTI |  September 28, 2025 | Chennai :  The death toll from the stampede at actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur has climbed to 38, Tamil Nadu DGP G Venkataraman confirmed on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters in Chennai, the DGP said the crowd surge was triggered by Vijay’s delayed arrival, compounded by lack of food and water and extreme heat during the waiting hours.

"An unfortunate incident happened; a regrettable one. As per latest information, 38 persons have died — 12 men, 16 women, and 10 children," Venkataraman said during an early morning briefing.

He noted that the official Twitter handle of TVK had announced Vijay would arrive at 12 noon, prompting large crowds to gather as early as 11 a.m., despite the event's approved time being from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“He came at 7:40 p.m. The people lacked sufficient food and water under the hot sun,” the DGP said.

While the event organisers had expected around 10,000 attendees, more than 27,000 people showed up to catch a glimpse of the popular actor-turned-politician, Venkataraman said, adding that police protection was originally planned for a turnout of about 20,000.

He dismissed suggestions of a security lapse, stating that the venue was a public road, and deploying more personnel would have reduced space for the crowd, worsening the situation.

"Our intention is not to blame anyone, but we are just stating the facts," he added.

When asked about the number of police on duty, he acknowledged that around 500 officers were initially deployed, and increasing that number could have complicated crowd flow at the open venue.

He also noted that Vijay was welcomed at one point, which attracted even more followers, further swelling the crowd.

The government has already announced a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the cause of the tragedy.

As of now, senior police officials, including ADGP (Law & Order) Davidson Devasirvatham, 3 IGPs, 2 DIGs, 10 SPs, and 2,000 police personnel, have been dispatched to Karur to handle the situation and maintain law and order.