At least 39 people died as a result of a stampede at a political event in the southern Indian state of Tamilnadda. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The pre-election rally held in Karur district featured the participation of famous actor and politician Vidjay. According to official information, among the deceased were women, men, and children.
The event took place on Saturday and was attended by tens of thousands of people. According to local media reports, disorder broke out among the crowd because the rally started later than scheduled.
Videos broadcast on television showed people losing consciousness and falling to the ground. Politician Senthil Balaji confirmed the number of deaths to journalists and stated that more than 50 people were injured.
Tamilnadda's Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that among the victims were 16 women, 9 men, and 6 children. According to the government leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, many people lost consciousness in the stampede and were taken to hospitals.
Doctors from neighboring areas were called in to assist the injured. Compensation of one million rupees has been designated for the families of the victims.
An investigation into the tragedy has begun. When Vidjay spoke online, he said he felt a "shattered heart" and "unbearable pain."
He expressed deep condolences to the relatives of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident a "sad accident" on social media.
Stampedes among crowds have been occurring frequently in the country in recent years. Similar tragic incidents happened earlier this year during the Kumbh Mela festival and while celebrating the victory of the Royal Challengers cricket team.
