A horrific night reporting a stampede at Karur

When we first arrived at Velusamypuram, on the outskirts of Karur, at 10:45 a.m. to cover the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) meeting, there were no signs of the chaos that would take several lives that night.

The crowd of around 1,000 people looked modest. After scouting for a good vantage point, my colleague, photographer M. Moorthy, and I found a suitable spot on the terrace of a nearby three-storey building. We requested the property owner’s permission, and occupied the spot at 11 a.m., braving the scorching sun.

As the day progressed, more journalists and media personnel joined us, followed by several women, including newly-weds and mothers with babies, all eager to catch a glimpse of actor-turned-politician Vijay. There was also a couple returning to Tiruvarur after their honeymoon trip to Munnar. There were at least 12 women with their babies, who had climbed to the terrace we were waiting on.

Initially, the crowd was sparse, leading me to believe that the turnout would be low. However, the numbers swelled significantly around 4 p.m., after Vijay’s rally in Namakkal. The crowd waited patiently, as high-energy songs praising him were played.

When Vijay arrived, the crowd, all of a sudden, seemed to have nearly doubled, and the excitement turned into chaos. The noise reached a deafening level, making it impossible to hear his speech from what was, until then, a vantage point. I rushed down to get closer, but found the building door locked. Desperate to get a better view, I tried to climb over the eight-foot steel door, but was pushed down by youngsters who were fleeing from the crowd surge near Vijay’s vehicle. As the vehicle entered the arena, the crowd had to part to make way for it. However, there was not much space. As the crowd tried to move, people on the edges were pushed back and trampled upon. Since I was at the back too, I got pushed down. I managed to cling on to the door and eventually returned to the terrace.

The scenes that I saw from the terrace after that were horrific, and will remain etched in my memory. It was utter chaos. People were falling; others were trampling over them as they tried to get to safety. I witnessed eight to ten people being taken to ambulances after fainting. At that point, I turned to see what Vijay was up to, and it seemed as if he was wondering whether to continue his speech, or stop.

In my career as journalist spanning 31 years, it was undoubtedly a disheartening experience. The pity was that except a few, many could not even get a glimpse of the person they had come to see — Vijay. Those lucky managed to return home, with a heavy heart and haunting memories. There were many who could not return home that night.