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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday (October 15, 2025) told the Assembly in detail about the measures taken by the State government following the stampede in Karur on September 27, which claimed 41 lives during a rally addressed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay.
He said the State government is in the process of formulating a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to prevent such incidents in the future and all further action will be taken based on the final judgment of the Supreme Court.
Speaking in the Assembly, Mr. Stalin said, “The tragic incident has shaken the hearts of the people of Tamil Nadu and caused immense shock and grief. I pay my deepest condolences to those who lost their lives.”
Also read: Karur stampede: A visual timeline on how the tragedy unfolded
Mr. Stalin said the TVK’s Karur West district secretary had sought permission for the event by giving a list of venues. However, permission was denied for those locations due to traffic congestion and safety concerns. A permission sought on September 25, to hold the meeting near Lighthouse Corner or Uzhavar Sandhai, was also rejected due to crowd estimates and safety reasons. On September 26, he requested permission to hold the event at Velusamipuram on September 27, and permission was granted with 11 conditions, the Chief Minister said.
Security arrangements
Elaborate security arrangements were made under the supervision of the Karur Superintendent of Police. Three additional SPs, five DSPs, 18 Inspectors, 75 Sub-Inspectors, and armed police personnel, totaling 517 from Karur district, were deployed. Another 99 police personnel from other districts were also deployed. “This was a higher security deployment than what would normally be assigned to political meetings. The organisers had estimated a crowd of around 10,000 people, but anticipating a larger turnout, additional security arrangements were made,” Mr. Stalin said.
“The organisers, in their permission letter, had informed the police that the meeting would be held between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. However, the party’s general secretary had announced through media and social media that their leader would arrive in Karur at 12 noon. As a result, people began gathering early, but the party leader arrived only at 7 p.m., seven hours later. This delay was a major factor behind the swelling of the crowd,” the Chief Minister said.
‘Event marked by disarray’
He pointed out that basic arrangements such as drinking water and food were not made for the large number of people waiting since morning. “All members of this House are aware that certain basic arrangements must be made by organisers for such gatherings. Those were not made in Karur that day,” he said. Recalling that the Leader of the Opposition had addressed a campaign meeting at the same venue two days earlier, on September 25, Mr. Stalin said it was well-organised and attended by about 12,000 to 15,000 people, with no untoward incidents. “In contrast, this event [the TVK rally] was marked by disarray,” he said.
As the area became overcrowded, the Karur DSP advised organisers to stop TVK leader’s campaign vehicle near Akshaya Hospital and address the crowd there. However, the organisers insisted on proceeding to the original venue despite several appeals from the SP. When the vehicle moved about 30 to 35 metres from Akshaya Hospital, the crowd surged forward, causing panic. Many women and children were caught in the crush, leading to suffocation, fainting, and injuries, Mr. Stalin said.
Some people tried to escape by breaking a tin sheet near a generator, and to prevent electrocution, the generator operator cut off the power supply. Upon noticing the injured, the police alerted ambulances, which arrived promptly to rescue the victims. However, two ambulance drivers were assaulted by TVK members, and an ambulance was damaged, disrupting rescue operations, Mr. Stalin said. Two FIRs were registered at the Karur Town police station, and investigations are under way.
Prompt action
The Chief Minister said the government acted immediately. “Health Minister Ma. Subramanian and senior officials rushed to Karur. I personally went there the same night to meet the affected families and console them. I could not stay at home after hearing of the tragedy. I visited those who were under treatment in the hospital, held discussions with doctors, and issued instructions. Ministers and officials from various departments also coordinated relief operations,” he said.
The first injured person was admitted to the Karur Government Medical College Hospital at 7.47 p.m., and following that, more than 200 were admitted for treatment. A total of 152 doctors, nurses, and medical assistants from various districts were deployed. Additional wards with 400 extra beds were set up in addition to the existing 700 beds. A team of 24 doctors and 16 assistants conducted postmortems through the night with special permission, as the mortuary’s cold storage was insufficient. The first autopsy began at 1.45 a.m. on September 28, and the 39th autopsy concluded by 1.10 p.m, the same day. A total of 41 people – 13 men, 18 women, and 10 children – lost their lives. One person remains under treatment at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, while others have recovered, he said.
“In my 50 years of public life, I have organised and participated in numerous public events. All of us here, across political parties, have similar experiences. Such gatherings must be conducted in accordance with laws, norms, and discipline. When those are breached, it is the party workers and the people of Tamil Nadu who suffer. We should remember that those who died are our people,” he said.
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