A Two-Year-Old Among Victims Of Killer Stampede At Actor Vijay's Rally

Two-year-old Dhuru Vishnu, his head wrapped in the colours of actor-politician Vijay's TVK, was at the Karur rally with his relatives yesterday when the stampede struck. The toddler is the youngest victim of the tragedy that has shaken Tamil Nadu and the nation. 

Vishnu's aunt said that he cried and clung to her when she was leaving for the rally. "So we took him along. As soon as Vijay came, they cut off the electricity supply. People could not hear him, so everyone tried to move closer to the bus. We cannot blame Vijay for the incident. It was our mistake. We should not have taken a child there." Vishnu's father, too, appealed to people never to take their children in such crowded events.   

At least 10 minors are among the 40 victims of the stampede at actor-politician Vijay's rally in Karur yesterday. Many of them are women, and most victims are in their 20s and 30s.

Heartbreaking visuals of a father holding his child in his arms and pleading for help at a hospital, and of a mother refusing to let go of her child after doctors declared death, are circulating on social media.

Among the children killed in yesterday's tragedy are Hemalatha (8), Sailetsana (8), Sai Jeeva (4), Dhuru Vishnu (2), Sanuj (13), Dharanika (14), Pazhaniammal (11), Kokila (14), Krithik (7) and Kishore (17). The other victims include Thamaraikannan (25), Sukanya (33), Akash (23), Dhanushkumar (24), Vadivazhagan (54), Revathi (52), Chandra (40), Ramesh (32), Ravikrishnan (32), Priyadarshini (35), Maheshwari (45), Malathi (36), Sumathi (50), Manikandan (33), Satheeshkumar (34), Anand (26), Sankar Ganesh (45), Vijayarani (42), Gokulapriya (28), Fathima Banu (29), Jaya (55), Arukkani (60) and Jayanthi (43).

The actor-politician, whose party TVK is prepping for a poll debut in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election next year, has come under fire after sources in the state government alleged violation of safety norms at his rally. The sources have said Vijay arrived nearly seven hours late and a crowd of 27,000 gathered at a venue with a capacity of 10,000. The sources have also said that food and drinking water arrangements were not made at the venue.

Two top leaders of TVK, including its general secretary and Vijay's aide N Anand, have been named in a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Vijay has announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the families of each of the 39 people killed in the stampede.

In a social media post through his party's official handle on X, the 51-year-old actor-politician said he is overwhelmed by grief. "I am at a loss for words to express the pain my heart endures. My eyes and mind are clouded with sorrow. The faces of all of you whom I have met keep flashing through my mind. The more I think of my loved ones who show affection and care, the more my heart slips further from its place," he said.

"While I express my deepest condolences with indescribable pain to you who are grieving the loss of our cherished loved ones, I also stand close to your hearts, sharing this immense sorrow. This is indeed an irreparable loss for us. No matter who offers words of comfort, the loss of our loved ones is unbearable. Yet, as a member of your family, I intend to provide 20 lakh rupees to each family that has lost a loved one and 2 lakh rupees to those who are injured and receiving treatment," said the TVK chief, who is prepping for a poll debut in the Assembly polls next year.

"This amount is, of course, not significant in the face of such a loss. Still, at this moment, it is my duty as one who belongs to your family to stand by you, my dear ones, with a heavy heart. Likewise, I pray to God that all our loved ones who are injured and undergoing treatment recover swiftly and return home. I also assure you that our Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam will steadfastly provide all necessary support to our loved ones under treatment. By the grace of God, let us strive to recover from all this," he said.

Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin today visited the injured at a hospital in Karur and met the families of the stampede victims. "The tears shed by the families of those who lost their lives throughout the night, and the pain caused by their grief-filled cries, have not left my heart," he said in a post on X. The state government has ordered a judicial inquiry headed by a retired High Court judge.