Karur Tragedy: Call for Probe Amid Rising Stampede Toll

The death toll from the Karur stampede has reached 40. Actor-politician Vijay's party has sought a probe into the incident. As health officials confirm the number of casualties and those undergoing treatment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces financial aid for victims' families.

The death toll from the recent stampede in Karur has risen to 40, with a man succumbing to injuries at a government hospital, according to health officials.

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhaga party, led by actor-politician Vijay, has approached the Madras High Court Bench in Madurai, demanding an independent investigation into the tragedy. Party deputy general secretary Nirmal Kumar hinted at a possible conspiracy, stating that the court agreed to hear the case.

In his statement, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary P Senthil Kumar provided detailed casualty figures, revealing that among the 39 deceased, there were 17 women, 13 men, and 9 children. The government has performed postmortems on 30 of the deceased, with the bodies returned to their families. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced compensation for victims' families, offering Rs 2 lakh for the deceased's next of kin and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

(With inputs from agencies.)