KARUR: Despite being an experienced police official, even he struggled to breathe when the crowd swell grew to uncontrollable proportions, recalled Suresh, who was posted on duty during actor-politician Vijay’s campaign in Karur. According to him, negligence and overcrowding were the primary causes of the tragedy.
Speaking to reporters, Suresh, who was deployed at the venue near Velusamy Puram, said women and children had been advised not to attend the rally, but many still arrived early with children. “A child fell near my feet. I lifted the child, but there was no sign of breathing or movement. When I looked for the mother, she was busy taking photos of Vijay on her phone,” he said.
“People lifted their children onto their shoulders to show them Vijay. The ground had space for about 1,000 people, but nearly 5,000 gathered even before Vijay arrived in the campaign vehicle. Another 2,000 followed him to the spot, creating a massive surge,” he said.
He added that students from a nearby college had also rushed to the venue after classes, further increasing the crowd. “If Vijay had arrived at the scheduled time, the situation might not have escalated. The rush could have been avoided,” said Suresh, who described the incident as the most distressing moment in his service.