Stampede at Indian actor Vijay's political rally in Tamil Nadu kills 38

Abhishek Shanker, Bloomberg News on Sep 28, 2025

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A stampede at actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar’s political rally in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu claimed 38 lives, including 10 children, the Hindustan Times reported, citing the state’s police chief G. Venkataraman.

The deadly crowd surge occurred Saturday evening because of the delayed arrival of Vijay, as he is popularly known. The estimated 27,000-strong gathering far exceeded the expected 10,000, and many were left without food or water for hours in intense heat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the tragedy “deeply saddening.”

The tragic event highlights challenges with crowd management in the world’s most populous nation, which has seen multiple fatal incidents in recent years at political and religious gatherings. In June, a deadly stampede occurred during the Indian Premier League cricket franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory celebration in the city.