"Unimaginably Painful": Nirmala Sitharaman Visits Karur Stampede Site

"Such tragedies should never happen again," Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday after visiting Karur, Tamil Nadu, where a deadly stampede at actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally claimed 41 lives on Saturday night.

She toured the accident site at Velayuthampalayam and met the injured in hospitals before addressing the media.

Sitharaman said she had come "only to meet and console the victims and their families" and was representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government.

"The Prime Minister has expressed deep grief over the tragedy. I will brief Home Minister Amit Shah about what I have seen here," she told reporters.

She announced that each bereaved family would receive Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) once the district administration shares the bank details.

"Many families are shattered; some had even come with small children without food or water," she said, calling the incident "unimaginably painful."

The Finance Minister said doctors assured her that those injured were receiving proper treatment. She stressed that safety protocols should be strengthened and clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) created to avoid such disasters.

However, she refused to be drawn into political debates.

"My visit has a specific purpose - to deliver the Prime Minister's message and ensure support. I do not want to get into political controversies," she said.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who visited the site soon after the tragedy and supervised relief measures, reiterated that the Tamil Nadu government would frame new rules for political events after the Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission completes its enquiry.

"Our action will be guided by the commission's findings," CM Stalin said, urging restraint from spreading unverified rumours.

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami conveyed condolences to the families and said the incident highlighted the urgent need for better crowd control.

TVK leader Vijay, shaken by the crush, called the deaths "heart-wrenching" and announced Rs 20 lakh compensation for each family and Rs 2 lakh to each of the injured.

The stampede occurred when thousands surged forward to see Vijay after his speech, triggering panic and chaos. Over 60 people were injured, several critically. The tragedy has ignited grief and debate over public safety at political gatherings in Tamil Nadu.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)