Karur stampede: 29-year-old man was to get engaged on Saturday
A devastating stampede at actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur on September 27, 2025, left 41 people dead and about 60 injured.
The chaos broke out as overcrowding, poor crowd control, and generator failure led to panic near the stage barricades.
Overcrowding, poor crowd control, and a delayed start made things worse. Among those lost were 18 women and 10 children.
Family's sole breadwinner
One of the victims was Ravikrishnan, a 29-year-old engineering grad who supported his family after his father's death.
He'd come to see Vijay and was supposed to get engaged the next day.
His relatives described him as kind and active in his community, asking for government help for his mother and sister.
Government announces compensation for victims' families
The tragedy led to public anger in Karur, with posters condemning Vijay and TVK appearing in the streets.
Police have charged three TVK leaders with culpable homicide. The government announced compensation for victims' families and launched an inquiry into what went wrong.
Finance Minister Sitharaman visited hospitals to check on the injured as families held final rites amid widespread grief.