Not blaming anyone for stampede at Vijay's rally: TN police
Tamil Nadu police clarified they're "not blaming anyone" for the deadly stampede at actor Vijay's political rally in Velusamypuram.
DGP G Venkataraman explained the chaos followed an announcement by Vijay's party that he would arrive at noon, but he actually arrived at 7:40pm.
Police had planned for 20,000 people
Police had planned for 20,000 people and brought in over 2,000 officers, but nearly 27,000 showed up—way more than expected.
Since the event was on a public road, adding extra security wasn't easy.
The crowd started gathering from late morning after TVK announced an early arrival time.
Eyewitnesses described hours in the sun without food or water
Eyewitnesses described hours in the sun without food or water. As one supporter put it, "There was no food, no water, and everyone was under the sun for hours."
When Vijay finally began speaking, pushing and shoving broke out. The chaos led to at least 38 deaths—including children—and forced Vijay to pause his speech and intervene.