Karur, Sep 27 (IANS) A large turnout at the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and actor Vijay’s campaign rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur, on Saturday, turned into a devastating tragedy after a sudden crowd surge and chaos claimed at least 31 lives and left dozens injured, many of them critical.

State Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that the deceased victims include 16 women, nine men and six children.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will visit Karur on Sunday to meet the injured victims and review the relief efforts.

The rally at Velusamipuram began around 7:20 p.m. and initially drew a celebratory atmosphere, with thousands gathering to hear Vijay speak.

But panic erupted when a sudden power outage plunged the venue into near darkness.

The tightly packed crowd swayed and surged forward, triggering a stampede-like situation.

Before the stampede incident, Vijay had been addressing local grievances, including illegal sand mining, mineral theft, and other issues affecting Karur.

He criticised the state government sharply and predicted a change of power within the next six months.

But the festive mood quickly turned into chaos as people struggled to move out of the packed ground in darkness.

Witnesses said the overcrowding and lack of ventilation caused many people, including children and elderly women, to faint.

Parents were seen desperately carrying unconscious children through the crowd while volunteers tried to create space for ambulances and the police.

Rescue efforts faced difficulty because of blocked exits and the sheer number of people.

Police, led by the Karur Superintendent of Police, K. Josh Thangiah, worked to stabilise the site of incident and open routes for emergency vehicles.

Ambulances lined up at the venue and transported the injured to the Karur Government Medical College Hospital.

Officials confirmed that the death toll climbed to 31 by now, and more than 40 people remain hospitalised.

Doctors said several people are in critical condition, including three children, who have been admitted to the intensive care unit.

Chief Minister Stalin, who has been closely monitoring the situation from Chennai, directed swift relief and medical assistance.

Acting on his orders, Ministers Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and Ma Subramanian rushed to Karur to oversee rescue and hospital care.

Additional DGP (law and Order), Davidson Devasirvatham, was also deployed to coordinate security and crowd control.

The Karur Government Hospital has been working through the night, described by officials as resembling a “war zone”, with doctors and paramedics treating the injured continuously.

Former Minister V. Senthil Balaji visited the injured and assessed emergency facilities.

The state government has promised full support to the victims’ families.

CM Stalin is scheduled to visit Karur on Sunday to personally meet those affected and review the response to the tragedy.

Questions are now being raised about the safety measures and crowd management at large political gatherings.

TVK has yet to issue an official statement.

–IANS

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