Overview

• Officials in Karur reported 31 deaths and 58 hospitalisations, while some outlets later cited higher figures, with the final toll still being reconciled.
• Witness accounts describe long delays in intense heat, a brief power cut, a rush toward water bottles from Vijay’s campaign vehicle, and a search for a missing 9-year-old as factors in the sudden crush.
• Ambulances struggled to reach the packed route and police used lathi-charge to disperse the crowd as volunteers and medics moved victims to nearby hospitals.
• Chief Minister M. K. Stalin directed urgent treatment, announced Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia for families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for the injured, and set up a one-member judicial inquiry led by retired judge Justice Aruna Jagadisan.
• Vijay halted his speech to call for space for ambulances and later posted condolences, as national leaders including the Prime Minister expressed grief over the tragedy.