Karur, Sep 28 : Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader and Member of Parliament, Thol. Thirumavalavan has called on the Tamil Nadu government to increase the compensation for families of those killed in the devastating stampede at the TVK president and actor Vijay's rally in Karur.

The death toll has climbed to 39, with dozens of others battling injuries in hospitals.

The tragedy unfolded after Vijay finished his speech and left the venue. As the massive crowd began dispersing, heavy congestion turned chaotic, trapping and crushing many. Over 50 people fainted, and emergency teams rushed them to the Karur Government Medical College Hospital and nearby private facilities. Among the victims are 17 women,13 men and nine children; several remain in intensive care.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who visited Karur past midnight to console grieving families and meet the injured, announced Rs 10 lakh each from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund to the families of the deceased and Rs one lakh to those seriously hurt.

Special medical teams and senior officials have been deployed to coordinate emergency care. But Thirumavalavan said the announced amount is inadequate given the scale of the tragedy. 'The heart-wrenching incident in Karur during Vijay's campaign has taken the lives of over 30 people, including women and children, who were crushed and suffocated in the stampede,' he said in a statement.

'I urge the Chief Minister to raise the compensation from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh per family. Adequate compensation must also be extended to those injured.'

He further appealed for 'wartime-level' emergency measures to save the critically wounded and ensure the best possible medical treatment.

'My deepest condolences and sympathy go to the bereaved families,' he added.

The Karur stampede has sparked shock and sorrow across Tamil Nadu, with leaders from across parties demanding stronger crowd safety and management at political events. The state government has ordered a judicial inquiry to determine the causes and lapses that led to the disaster and to recommend steps to prevent such incidents in the future.

/IANS