Key Points

The rally was being addressed by party president, actor Vijay, on Saturday when the stampede occurred, leaving at least 39 people dead and over 50 others injured.

The public meeting, held at Velusamypuram in Karur, was part of Vijay's fast-growing outreach campaign across Tamil Nadu.

According to police and local officials, thousands of supporters began gathering on the narrow approach roads from early morning to secure a vantage point for the evening address.

The event started around 7.20 p.m., but as crowds swelled in the confined space, a section became dangerously congested. Witnesses said people began fainting and stumbling as panic rippled through the dense crowd. Several victims were trampled in the chaos before rescue teams could reach them.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who rushed to Karur late at night to console bereaved families and meet the injured at Karur Medical College Hospital, confirmed that of the 39 who lost their lives, nine were children and 16 were women.

"More than 50 persons are injured and are being treated at Karur Medical College Hospital and nearby private facilities," he said.

The death toll may rise further as some remain critical. The state government has announced a one-member judicial commission to investigate the incident.

Retired Madras High Court judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan will lead the inquiry and submit findings "as early as possible", Stalin said.

Asked whether TVK chief Vijay could face action, the Chief Minister stated that "further steps will depend entirely on the Commission's report."

Questions have been raised about whether the meeting was held on an inadequately narrow road that was unable to accommodate the surge of attendees.

CM Stalin did not comment on the suitability of the venue but assured that accountability will follow once the probe concludes.

In the immediate aftermath, the government rushed senior ministers and medical teams to Karur. Emergency care units were set up to treat the injured, and additional ambulances and rescue personnel were deployed.

The tragedy has sparked a wave of grief across Tamil Nadu, with condolences pouring in from political leaders cutting across party lines. Safety arrangements at political gatherings are now under sharp scrutiny as the state reels from one of its deadliest crowd disasters in recent years.

- IANS