Tears, Panic, And Cries For Help… Survivors of the Karur stampede recount their ordeal
Survivors Of The Karur Stampede: The stampede that broke out at actor Vijay's rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, on Saturday has shocked everyone. Eyewitnesses at the scene described the devastation and claimed that nothing could be done to control the massive crowd. News agency ANI quoted Nand Kumar as saying, "We were present there ourselves. Nothing could be done to control the crowd."
Vijay's late arrival and security lapses worsened the situation. Many people cried for help, but no one came, leading to this tragic incident.
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At least 39 people were killed and several others are critically injured in a stampede at actor-politician Vijay's rally in Karur on Saturday. Many reported arriving six hours late, and the crowd was much larger than anticipated.
It's difficult to determine whose fault it was
Nand Kumar said it's difficult to determine whose fault it was. People were expecting Vijay to arrive on time. Many children were with them, hungry. We were facing difficult circumstances. Everyone was eager to see a star. He further claimed that despite adequate security measures, ten to fifteen times more people turned up, leading to the incident.
Eyewitness Accounts
Another eyewitness, Surya, said that shortly after the stampede began, there was even less space left for people to stand, which hindered the movement of ambulances and delayed rescue operations.
Also Read: Tamil Nadu: Stampede at actor Vijay's rally leaves 31 dead; scores injured
A father said he had brought his 12-year-old daughter to meet Vijay. After the stampede, he thought his daughter had simply fainted and would recover. But when he looked for her again, she was gone.
Shivashankari, a woman from Namakkal, said she saw her neighbor fall as the crowd surged forward. "We screamed for help, but no one forward for our help . People fell on top of each other. We couldn't breathe," she said.
How did the stampede occur?
Authorities have not disclosed the cause of the stampede. The stampede occurred at actor-turned-politician Vijay's rally in Velusamypuram on the Karur-Erode Highway in Tamil Nadu, when a larger-than-anticipated crowd gathered. As Vijay began addressing the gathering, chaos ensued, forcing him to interrupt his speech.
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