Chennai/Karur, 28 Sept

The stampede leading to the tragic death of 40 people, including nine children in Karur’s Veluchamypuram has left the members of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party led by actor-politician Vijay shell-shocked.

The party came under sharp criticism from several quarters for the poor arrangement at the week-end political rally where the crowd continued to swell as Vijay’s arrival from Namakkal district got delayed by many hours. And when he finally arrived at the venue at around 7 pm the tragedy was waiting to unfold.

Though former Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami blamed the police and administration for their inability to defuse the stampede and avert the tragedy through proper arrangement, police claimed that the situation went out of control as several thousands of persons far beyond the expected numbers gathered to see the actor.

Mounds of shoes and chappals, crushed water bottles, torn party flags, pieces of clothes, broken poles, shreds of paper sprayed from party poppers and striking garbage of sorts, at the venue only reminded of the tragic incident.

A young man, among the crowd at the stampede spot, who managed to safely get out, claimed that several people were pushed to a 'low-lying sewerage' close to the road margin as many tried to get out at the same time. He regretted that what began as a 'celebration time' to hail their beloved matinee idol ended in tragedy.

"As fans were chanting Vijay's name, several did not realize that it was a stampede and that people fell down. Many who happened to place their legs on people who fell down also got tripped and fell," he told reporters.

Several people had their own claims about the cause for stampede, and it is not clear what went wrong; whether it was the choice of the venue or overcrowding, which is being witnessed ever since Vijay launched his state-wide tour on 13 September.

At the venue, people pushed away tin sheets used to barricade and make enclosure kind of spaces and many who climbed on to thatched roof structures nearby fell down and sustained injuries. Almost at the same time, police baton-charged to control the situation.

However, people, including children, who were caught in the crowd and fell down, could not comprehend what was happening.

A senior citizen in his 70s said he has never seen so many people getting killed in a stampede at a political party's event and blamed the youths for their anxiety to somehow take a look at the actor.

Staff at the Karur government hospital themselves were rattled by the unceasing siren of ambulances bringing injured people and policemen pitched in by carrying the victims to the treatment ward. Visuals of young men and women crying by holding their motionless children shook hearts.

Police repeated lathi-charge nearly an hour following the stampede to chase away the remaining crowds from the venue. Following the stampede, Vijay left the venue and did not meet reporters waiting at Tiruchirappalli and Chennai airports.

"My heart has broken, I am in unbearable, inexplicable pain and grief, " he said in a social media post. The actor added that he prayed for speedy recovery of those being treated in hospitals. He extended his sympathies to the families of "my dear brothers and sisters killed in Karur."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin rushed from Chennai to Karur and interacted with doctors on the treatment being provided to the affected people and comforted them and assured them of best care.

The fatalities in the stampede mounted to 40 (from 39) with a man succumbing to injuries at the government hospital here, a health official said on Sunday.

As the death toll rose, the TVK moved the Madras High Court Bench in Madurai seeking an independent probe into the Karur stampede.

Stopping short of alleging a conspiracy into the incident, TVK deputy general secretary Nirmal Kumar told media that the party had approached the high court Bench with a plea for an impartial inquiry into the incident.

"The judge agreed to hear the case tomorrow at 2.15 pm. We will make official our statement thereafter," he said.

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary P Senthil Kumar said 39 deaths have been reported--17 women, 13 men, 4 male children, and 5 female children in the unfortunate incident.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF to be given to the kin of each deceased in the unfortunate incident. The injured would be given Rs 50,00, he said in a post on 'X'.

Tamil Nadu DGP G Venkataraman said Vijay arrived at 7.40 pm. The people waiting under the hot sun lacked sufficient food and water. While the organisers put the expected number at 10,000, about 27,000 people turned up to have a glimpse of the actor, he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said the Commission led by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan would arrive in Karur later in the day to probe the stampede incident. Chief Minister would take appropriate action based on the report submitted by the panel, he said.

Udhayanidhi, who cut short his overseas trip, paid homage to the deceased and visited the injured at the hospital. He was accompanied by Cabinet colleagues, including Health Minister Ma Subramanian.

Vijay announced that Rs 20 lakh would be given to the families of those who lost their lives at the stampede and expressed deep anguish over the incident. He announced that Rs 2 lakh would be given to the injured.