A tragic crowd crush at a political rally for actor-politician Vijay in Karur, Tamil Nadu, on Saturday resulted in at least 36 deaths and over 50 injuries. The rally, organized by Vijay’s newly launched political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, drew a massive crowd, leading to chaos as supporters surged forward.
Vijay has been the biggest star in Tamil cinema over the past 30 years. In 2024, he took the plunge into politics, boldly starting Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. His party is looking to pickle the long-ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and PM Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. Since the campaign’s launch, Vijay has continued to draw massive, enthusiastic crowds to his public events, a testament to his strong grassroots support and cultural impact across the region.
The incident came after Singh and other group members had conducted a safety rally through the same district, which has faced complaints over safety issues for years. According to reports, eight children and 16 women were among the fatalities in the crush. Local lawmaker Senthil Balaji told the BBC that as many as 58 were hospitalized from the confusion. In reaction, authorities had rushed 44 doctors from adjacent districts including Tiruchirappalli and Salem, where hospitals have been affected, to give cover.
Witnesses later recounted that it was a time of mass panic as the crowd turned deadly. In his attempts to create a sense of relief, Vijay tossed water bottles into the crowd to revive fainting supporters and summoned police officers. But he was unable to avert the storm, and his advocacy efforts came up too short to avert the tragedy that unfolded.
This isn’t the first time Vijay’s rallies have created safety concerns. Indeed, the death toll was already reported by the media during the inaugural session of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam last October. As the state elections approach in early 2026, these incidents raise serious concerns about crowd management and safety at political events.
Following the tragedy, Vijay sent his condolences to those who lost family members in the disaster.
“My heart is broken; I am in unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow,” – Vijay
Prime Minister Modi himself offered his condolences, calling the incident “deeply saddening” at a political rally.
