A video has surfaced on the internet that shows actor-turned-politician Vijay offering water to someone in the crowd and pleading the security authorities to apparently locate a missing child during his rally. Moments later, chaos erupted in the mega political rally taking place in Tamil Nadu’s Karur where at least 35 people have been reported dead so far. The death toll is expected to rise.

The video posted on X shows Vijay urgently calling out for a missing child right before the chaos unfolded on the streets. In the footage, the actor turned politician is seen roaming the stage with a concerned expression on his face as he makes an announcement to a large volume of his supporters packed in the street to look for a child that has been reported as missing.

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Death toll at the stampede

The rally, which reportedly attracted more than 50,000 people on Saturday, broke into a stampede. This resulted in the death of at least 35 people, including six children. The crowd surged in the streets in an uncontrollable frenzy causing several people to faint and drop on the road.

Witnesses told news agencies that the crowd became unmanageable while Vijay was addressing them. Alarmed party workers raised the alarm, prompting Vijay to halt his speech prematurely.

Ambulances struggled to cut through the densely packed streets to reach the injured, many of whom were rushed to nearby hospitals.

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What happened after the stampede?

As per The News Minute, Tamil Nadu police will be filing an FIR against Vijay for the deaths at his rally. Ministers, top officials and police officers have rushed to Karur following the stampede.

Following the situation, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin posted on X that the news coming from Karur is “extremely worrying”. Stalin further said that all the authorities are coordinating with each other to provide assistance to the attendees impacted in the stampede. The CM might rush to Karur later tonight.