Overview

• Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said 39 people, including women and children, died in the crush, with more than 50 others injured receiving treatment.
• Police said organisers anticipated around 10,000 attendees but about 27,000 arrived, and Vijay reached the venue around 7:40 pm after crowds had waited for hours.
• Eyewitness accounts describe a rush toward water bottles thrown from the campaign vehicle and confusion over a missing child, with a reported power cut adding to distress; the precise cause remains under investigation.
• Ambulances struggled to enter the densely packed area, delaying evacuations, as authorities later deployed senior officers and additional forces and tightened security for Vijay.
• The state formed a commission led by Justice Aruna Jagadeesan and announced Rs 10 lakh compensation and free treatment, while TVK petitioned the Madras High Court seeking a CBI or special probe alleging a conspiracy.