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At least 19 people were killed and two dozen more injured yesterday in eastern India after a stampede that occurred during sudden rainfall at a Hindu religious gathering, officials and Indian media said.  West Bengal’s Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari told reporters the fatalities included a seven-year-old girl, adding that 25 other people were injured outside a pavilion “in a stampede” at the Hindu festival of Durga Puja in the city of Kolkata.  “Six bodies have so far been identified,” Adhikari said.  A senior police official at the scene told AFP an announcement caused “commotion” after it started raining at night and the “crowd waiting outside the pandal (pavilion) was pushing, pulling and rushing forward and fell on the ground, leading to the stampede.”  Afterwards medics were seen moving injured people on stretchers, including a police officer, into a local hospital. Several relatives of victims cried and held one another as they mourned the loss of loved ones.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the tragedy in a short statement on Facebook.  “The stampede in Kolkata is saddening. Condolences to the bereaved families. Wishing the injured a speedy recovery,” he wrote.  “The West Bengal Government is providing all possible help to the affected families.”  Adhikari originally announced 17 fatalities. The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported the death toll rose by two to 19, quoting Adhikari in a later statement.Nine dead bodies have been released to their families, the PTI reported.  It also said police have taken the closed circuit footage of the festival and authorities would initiate action against those seen on CCTV who appeared to fail in their responsibility for crowd control.Videos shot before the stampede appeared to show large crowds of people waiting to enter the pavilion, in an area with narrow lanes that allow only a few people to walk in at a time, according to Indian Express.  Deadly crowd incidents are a frequent occurrence at Indian mass events, such as religious festivals, due to poor management and safety lapses.  Last year, a stampede at India’s Kumbh Mela religious fair killed 30 people and injured several others, and 11 fans were crushed to death in Bengaluru during celebrations for the local cricket team’s first Indian Premier League title.  The same year, 36 people were killed after a stampede broke out at a campaign rally of a popular actor-turned-politician in southern Tamil Nadu state.  In 2024, 121 people were killed in northern Uttar Pradesh state during a Hindu religious gathering. 

Police in India registered a criminal case against leaders of Tamil actor Vijay's political party after a stampede at his rally killed 39 people, a senior police official said on Sunday.The dead included children and more than 50 people were injured in Saturday's stampede in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, where Vijay was campaigning for his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party ahead of state elections early next year."So far, 39 people have died, including 13 men, 17 women, 4 boys, and 5 girls - while 51 people, including 26 men and 25 women, are receiving intensive treatment," Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin told reporters in Karur, the district where the incident occurred during a political rally held by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, Vijay's party.Earlier, state lawmaker Senthil Balaji told reporters that 58 people were hospitalised.Tamil Nadu police filed the case, the first step toward potential charges, "against TVK party senior leaders Bussy Anand, Nirmal Kumar and V.P. Mathiyalagan, and the investigation is under way," senior police official V. Selvaraj told Reuters."TVK originally sought permission for a gathering of 10,000 people, but the actual crowd was more than double," he said.Vijay, one of Tamil cinema's most bankable actors for three decades, has drawn massive crowds since launching his party last year. He said he was "heartbroken" by the stampede in the Karur district, pledging support for the victims' families.Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced compensation of 1 million rupees ($11,300) per family.The state has appointed a commission led by a retired judge to investigate the cause of the stampede.Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X that the incident was "deeply saddening".During the rally, footage from local media showed thousands of people surrounding a large campaign vehicle on top of which Vijay was speaking. He was seen throwing water bottles to fainting supporters and calling for police help when the crowd became uncontrollable.Vijay's TVK has targeted the state's ruling party, DMK, and Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

At least 36 people were killed and more than 50 injured on Saturday in a stampede at a rally held by Tamil actor Vijay, who is campaigning for election, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu said.Chief Minister MK Stalin said eight children and 16 women were among the 36 that died in the district of Karur in Tamil Nadu during a political rally by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, Vijay's party.Earlier, state lawmaker Senthil Balaji told reporters that 58 people were hospitalised.Vijay, one of Tamil cinema's most bankable actors for three decades, has drawn massive crowds to his public meetings since launching his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, in 2024, which has targeted both the state ruling party DMK and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. He is campaigning ahead of state elections that are to be held in early 2026.Videos from local media show thousands of people surrounding a large campaign vehicle on top of which Vijay is seen standing and speaking.During the rally, visuals showed Vijay throwing water bottles from the top of the vehicle to fainting supporters and calling for police help when the crowd became uncontrollable."The unfortunate incident during a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, is deeply saddening," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X.At least 44 doctors from the nearby districts of Tiruchirappalli and Salem were sent to Karur, media reports said.This is not the first time Vijay's rallies have faced safety concerns. At least six deaths were reported by media following the first meeting of his political party when it was launched in October last year.Despite police-imposed restrictions, including limits on convoy size and venue changes, the sheer scale of public turnout has repeatedly overwhelmed local infrastructure.