A somber update emerged from Karur, Tamil Nadu, as the death toll from the stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Velusamypuram on Saturday night tragically rose to 40 by Sunday, September 28, 2025.
The latest victim identified was 31-year-old Kavin, who succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) in Karur.
Official sources confirmed the identities of all 40 victims, revealing that 17 were women, 14 were men, and nine were children, including five girls. To ensure a swift and respectful process, the Director of Medical Education mobilized special medical teams from neighboring districts like Namakkal and Salem to conduct post-mortems.
These dedicated teams worked through Saturday night, completing autopsies on 39 victims. By the early hours of Sunday, medical college authorities had begun the heartbreaking task of handing over 35 bodies to their distraught families, with the remaining four returned later that day.
Beyond the fatalities, 111 individuals sustained injuries in the chaotic event. Currently, 50 of the injured are receiving care at the Karur GMCH, while 61 others are being treated at various private hospitals across Karur.
The Karur GMCH remained a focal point throughout Sunday, bustling with visits from numerous political dignitaries. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin arrived at the hospital at 3:15 a.m., having landed at Tiruchi International Airport earlier at 1:35 a.m.
During his visit, Chief Minister Stalin laid wreaths on the bodies of the deceased at the mortuary and personally met with the injured patients, inquiring about their condition and the circumstances of the stampede. Following this, he convened a meeting with health, revenue, police, and other relevant officials, issuing directives to ensure the highest standard of medical care for all those affected.
Later in the day, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami also visited the hospital, engaging with the injured to gather firsthand accounts of the incident. He extended his deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the tragedy.
In response to the gravity of the event, Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, appointed to lead a one-member Commission of Inquiry by the State government, began her investigation on Sunday, September 28, 2025. Her initial steps included a visit to Velusamypuram, the site of the stampede, to collect on-site information. She also held discussions with officials from the health and other departments at the GMCH.
Further emphasizing the widespread concern, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran, TNCC president K. Selvaperunthagai, and many other prominent political figures visited the hospitalized victims and offered solace to the families mourning their losses.