New Delhi, September 27 (QNA) - At least 31 people have been confirmed dead, and as many as 50 others were injured on Saturday in a stampede during a political rally held by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party in Karur city, Tamil Nadu state, southern India.

State Health Minister M. Subramanian clarified that the fatalities included six children and 16 women, noting that over 40 individuals remain under treatment in hospitals.

Local authorities confirmed that doctors and forensic experts were urgently dispatched from other hospitals to support Karur General Hospital, ensuring the provision of essential medical care for the injured.

The incident occurred during a large-scale gathering as part of an election tour by the president of the Tamilaga Vitri Kazhagam (TVK) party, Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, where several attendees fainted amid the stampede and were immediately transported to Karur Medical Hospital and a number of nearby private hospitals to receive treatment.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin, emphasized that security authorities had taken decisive and rapid measures to control the situation and called on citizens to cooperate with doctors and police to ensure a swift, organized, and effective response to the crisis.

Mass stampede incidents in India constitute one of the gravest risks confronting political, religious, and cultural events, particularly in densely populated urban centers and major states. Such incidents frequently result in dozens of casualties in venues that draw thousands of participants within limited spaces.

In recent years, India has witnessed several tragic events due to mass stampedes, most notably the Kumbh Mela festival in January 2025 in Uttar Pradesh, which claimed 30 lives and left 60 injured, alongside the Hathras incident in July 2024 in the same state, where 121 people perished as thousands surged during a religious event. (QNA)