Vijay Announces ₹20 Lakh for Families of Karur Stampede Victims, ₹2 Lakh for Injured

Actor-politician Vijay has announced an ex-gratia of ₹20 lakh for the families of those who died and ₹2 lakh for the injured in the tragic stampede at his rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, on Saturday evening. The incident claimed at least 39 lives and left 56 others injured.

Terming the tragedy an “irreparable loss,” Vijay expressed his grief on X, saying, “The faces of all of you whom I have met keep flashing through my mind. The more I think of my loved ones who show affection and care, the more my heart slips further from its place. My heart and mind are overwhelmed with profound heaviness. My eyes and mind are clouded with sorrow.”

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government announced ₹10 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹1 lakh for those injured. Chief Minister MK Stalin said, “In the history of our state, never has such a large number of people lost their lives in a program organised by a political party. Such a tragedy should never happen in the future.” He also confirmed that a commission led by a retired high court judge will probe the stampede.

Police officials noted that Vijay arrived at 7:30 pm for a rally that was scheduled to begin at 3 pm, which caused the crowd to swell. According to DGP in-charge G Venkatraman, the organisers had booked the ground for around 10,000 attendees, but nearly 27,000 people showed up.

The venue also lacked sufficient food and water, leaving crowds waiting under the hot sun for hours. “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 added.

This stampede has been marked as one of the deadliest in the state’s political rally history, prompting calls for stricter crowd management measures in future events.