• Source:JND
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Tamil Nadu Stampede: A stampede broke out in Tamil Nadu's Karur on Saturday during actor-turned-politician Vijay's political rally, killing at least 38 people, including children and women. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has expressed his grief over the incident and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 Lakhs for the deceased. Apart from this, TVK chief Vijay also paid his condolences by stating that the incident has shattered him. While describing the incident, one of the eyewitnesses stated that the situation "went out of control". He stated that the late arrival of Vijay left the supporters hungry and impatient, leading to the rush.

"We were there ourselves. Nothing could be done to control the crowd. He (Vijay) had said he would arrive in Karur by 11 am, and everyone was informed about it. But when he came, it was much delayed. We pray that everyone who was injured recovers fully and returns home safely. But beyond that, such incidents must be prevented from happening again," Nanda Kumar, the eyewitness, was quoted as saying by ANI.

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"It's hard to understand who is at fault. People had come expecting him to arrive on time; many were accompanied by children, were hungry, or faced difficult situations. Everyone came with the enthusiasm of wanting to see a star. This is deeply distressing," he added. Kumar also stated that nothing could be done as thousands of extra supporters arrived at the site than expected, further urging the state government to take necessary steps.

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"Even if proper safety measures were in place, what can anyone do if ten or fifteen times more people show up than expected? This was a serious mistake. Such events should be carefully planned. I pray to the Almighty that the Tamil Nadu government provide proper support to the affected people," Kumar stated. Tamil Nadu DGP in-charge G Venkatraman also stated that the people gathered to participate in the rally lacked sufficient food and water.