After the stampede at the Karur rally, a bomb threat was reported earlier in the morning today at the East Coast Road (ECR), Neelankarai residence of TVK chief, Vijay Thalapathy.
An anonymous caller alerted authorities to the existence of an explosive device on the property, according to police sources.
Chennai police raced to the scene after receiving the alert and surrounded the area. Sniffer dogs and a bomb disposal squad have been sent in to perform a comprehensive inspection of the building's exterior and interior.
As of now, no explosive material has been recovered. Officials confirmed that a detailed investigation is underway.
The death toll from Saturday night’s stampede at actor-politician Vijay's rally in Karur rose to 41 on Monday morning.
Aftermath of the Karur Rally
Suguna, a 65-year-old woman, succumbed to injuries at the Karur Government Medical College Hospital, officials confirmed. Eighteen women and ten children were among the 41 victims, and the bodies were handed over to their families after their relatives identified them. V Guru Vishnu of Velusamypuram in Karur was the two-year-old victim, while the oldest victim was a 60-year-old man.
Among the deceased women, most were in their 30s, while the men who died were in their 20s and 30s. The bodies were transported to their respective native place in free hearse vehicles.
Thousands of people flocked to the TVK rally in the Karur district on Saturday, despite the intense heat. Tamil Nadu DGP G Venkataraman claimed that his tardy arrival was the reason behind the stampede.
The DGP noted that the overcrowded people had been waiting for hours in the scorching sun without sufficient food and water, leading to these deaths in the tragic incident. He added that a surge in the crowd occurred after the official Twitter handle of Vijay’s TVK party announced he would arrive at the venue by noon. "Our intention is not to blame anyone, but we are just stating the facts," the DGP said.
There were ten children, thirteen men, and eighteen women among the dead. While some victims came from Erode, Tiruppur, Dindigul, and Salem, the majority came from the Karur district.
