At least 36 killed at Indian actor’s political rally

At least 36 people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede Saturday evening at a political rally in southern India for a popular actor-turned-politician, authorities said.

Eight children are among the dead, according to M.K. Stalin, chief minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, where actor Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar addressed supporters.

State health minister Ma Subramanian told local media the toll would likely rise. He said 40 people were rushed to local hospitals for fractures and respiratory distress.

Video from local media shows a crowd surrounding Vijay, a popular actor, as he spoke from atop a bus.

Nearly 30,000 people had gathered to hear Vijay speak at the rally held by his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party in Karur, local media reported, citing law enforcement.

After waiting for several hours for his arrival, local media reported, the crowd was restless. When he appeared, they reported, the crowd surged toward the barrier.

Several people, including children, fainted and fell, prompting Vijay to pause his speech, local media reported. Video from the rally shows an ambulance struggling to get through the gathering.

Vijay said his “heart is shattered.”

“I am writhing in unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow that words cannot express,” he said in a statement reported by New Delhi Television.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the stampede “deeply saddening.”

“My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones,” he wrote on X. “Wishing strength to them in this difficult time. Praying for a swift recovery to all those injured.”

India has endured several lethal stampedes in recent years. At least 30 people were killed at a Hindu religious festival in northern India in January. More than 120 were killed last year during another religious gathering in northern India.