Karur (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 28 : Jothimani, Congress MP from Karur, on Sunday expressed shock over the stampede in her constituency during a rally addressed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and actor Vijay, which left 40 people dead and many others injured. She said most of the victims belonged to poor families.
"This is a time of tragedy. We are completely devastated because this is a very small city and the society is very closely knitted. We live as a family... Such a tragedy of this magnitude has never occured before in this place. It will take years for us to recover from this," Jothimani told reporters.
"I have been here since the incident happened, and I have met all the families who lost their loved ones. We met people who are undergoing treatment. Almost all of them are very poor, labourers, farmers, or farm labourers... Everyone has lost someone whom they depend on for their livelihood... I am at a loss for words," she added.
The Congress MP said she did not want to politicise the tragedy and that parties in the INDIA bloc would act responsibly.
"The government has formed a one-person committee consisting of Justice (Retd) Aruna Jagadeesan, whom we trust... The CM came here at midnight and stayed here till early in the morning. In the morning, the Deputy CM arrived... The injured are all in a stable condition, and hopefully, there will be no further loss. They are all traumatised... Tamil Nadu Congress has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore for the deceased," she said.
The death toll from the stampede at actor Vijay's political rally for the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Karur on Saturday evening has risen to 40.
Karur Collector M Thangavel confirmed on Sunday that at least 40 people died in the incident. The state government announced immediate relief measures, including a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for those undergoing medical treatment. Emergency teams and doctors were deployed to provide urgent care, and hospital facilities were strengthened with additional beds to manage the influx of patients.
Addressing a press conference alongside ADGP (Law and Order) S Davidson Devasirvatham, the Collector said, "A total of 40 people have died in the stampede so far. The Chief Minister arrived immediately at night and ordered proper treatment for the injured. He announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for those receiving treatment. A help desk has been opened at the hospital... The Tamil Nadu government has taken steps to prevent further deaths."
The massive crowd at Vijay's rally reportedly turned chaotic, triggering panic. Several attendees fainted and were rushed to nearby hospitals. Sources had said that overcrowding at the venue led to the tragedy.
Chief Minister MK Stalin visited the Government Medical College and Hospital in Karur late Saturday night, met the injured, and paid tribute to those who lost their lives. He announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each family of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for each person undergoing treatment.
The Chief Minister further announced the formation of a one-member Commission of Inquiry, headed by retired High Court Judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a report to the government.
Meanwhile, TVK chief and actor Vijay announced financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh for each bereaved family and Rs 2 lakh for the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced ex-gratia payments from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. He also announced an amount of Rs 50,000 each for the people injured in the tragic incident.
"PM Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF to be given to the next of kin of each deceased in the unfortunate incident at a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," the PMO posted on X.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara expressed condolences over the tragedy, calling it unfortunate and emphasising the need for better security arrangements at large gatherings.
Speaking in Tumakuru, he said, "More security should have been provided for such programs. I do not know how the organizers and security were organized for that program, and I cannot comment on it...It is not right for me to comment without knowing about that incident. He said that more security has been taken for the program to be held in Tumkur for the Tumkur Dasara program," Parameshwara said.