Actor-politician Vijay was spotted at Trichy airport on Saturday night following a chaotic rally in Karur district of Tamil Nadu. At least 31 people were killed and nearly 60 hospitalised with injuries following a stampede during the event. Visuals shared online showed the actor leaving from Trichy airport and avoiding the media — even as emergency responders rushed to the accident site.
“My heart is shattered; I am writhing in unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow that words cannot express. I extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of my dear brothers and sisters who lost their lives in Karur. I pray for the swift recovery of those receiving treatment in the hospital,” he later wrote on X.
What led to the stampede?
Several factors likely contibuted to the devastating stampede — starting with the massive turnout for the event. According to reports the crowd had swelled to an estimated 60,000 people during the Karur rally. The number was double the permitted limit of 30,000 and quickly overwhelmed the existing crowd control measures. A notice shared by the party ahead of the rally indicated that they had only expected around 10,000 people to attend.
Many including children had been waiting for hours to see the actor and fainted during the event. Vijay had briefly paused the rally to request passage for an ambulance and threw water bottles from atop his campaign vehicle to help people. He also announced that a child had gone missing amid the chaos and urged police to come forward and help. Videos from the venue showed the actor-politician standing on the stage visibly concerned as he called the name of the child and pleaded with those gathered before him to help.
But the rally had eventually continued — even as some of its attendees headed to the hospital. Matters took a rapid turn for the worse as the crowd suddenly surged. According to a PTI update, Vijay had abruptly ended his speech as a section of the crowd descended into chaos.