Tragedy hit a political rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district on Saturday when a sudden power outage sparked chaos, killing at least 23 people and injuring dozens more, including children and the elderly.
The event, organized by Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and popular actor Vijay, drew thousands to Velusamipuram. It kicked off around 7:20 p.m., with Vijay speaking on local problems like illegal sand mining, mineral theft, and other civic issues plaguing Karur. He took aim at the ruling DMK government and even predicted a power shift in the next six months.
But everything changed in an instant. Witnesses describe how the lights suddenly went out, plunging the packed venue into darkness. Panic spread fast as the massive crowd pushed and surged forward, turning the rally into a deadly stampede-like crush. Officials point to overcrowding and poor ventilation as factors that made things worse.
Parents rushed unconscious children out of the chaos, while volunteers fought to clear paths for ambulances and police. Rescue teams faced tough going with blocked exits and the sheer size of the crowd slowing everything down. The Karur Superintendent of Police led efforts to restore order and get emergency services through.
By morning, authorities confirmed 23 deaths. More than 30 people ended up at Karur Government Medical College Hospital, including six children. Doctors say three kids are still in the intensive care unit, fighting serious injuries, while others remain in critical condition. The hospital buzzed like a war zone all night as medical staff treated the wounded non-stop.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin jumped into action, monitoring the situation closely and ordering a full emergency response. He sent Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and Health Minister Ma Subramanian to Karur to handle rescues, medical aid, and crowd control. Additional Director General of Police Davidson Devasirvatham also headed there to support local police and boost safety measures.
Former minister V. Senthil Balaji stopped by the hospital to check on patients and emergency setups. Power eventually came back on, and the crowd started to clear out. Now, people are asking tough questions about crowd management and safety at big political events like this Tamil Nadu rally tragedy.
TVK hasn’t released an official statement yet on the Karur stampede incident.
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