Adityanath condoles deaths in Tamil Nadu stampede

Lucknow, Sep 27 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday expressed grief over the death of 36 people, including eight children, in a stampede at actor-politician Vijay's rally in Tamil Nadu's Karur.

In a post on X, Adityanath said, "Deeply anguished to hear about the tragic accident in Karur, Tamil Nadu. This saddening incident has snatched away precious lives. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May Prabhu Shri Ram give them strength and peace to the departed souls. Prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured. Om Shanti!" According to officials, the stampede broke out around 7.30 pm, just as Vijay was addressing his supporters who had gathered at the venue in Karur, about 400 km from Chennai, in huge numbers since the afternoon. They had been waiting for hours to get a glimpse of the TVK leader, also a top movie star.

Vijay, who was addressing the massive gathering from atop his campaign vehicle, halted his speech mid-way when many workers raised an alarm after noticing that people were fainting and falling.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin convened a meeting of top state officials at the Secretariat to review the situation. He also announced a Commission of Inquiry to probe the incident.

The Union Home Ministry has sought a report from the Tamil Nadu government and assured the state of all possible central assistance. PTI NAV RHL