TN stampede: CM Stalin announces ₹10 lakh ex gratia, orders judicial probe
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday expressed deep grief over the stampede at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) campaign meeting in Karur that claimed 36 lives and left 58 others injured.
The incident occurred on Saturday night when thousands gathered to hear TVK chief and actor-turned-politician Vijay, leading to sudden chaos and a deadly crush.
In a statement, Stalin described the tragedy as “unprecedented” and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families. He announced an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh each to the families of the deceased and ₹1 lakh each for the seriously injured, with all medical expenses to be borne by the government.
To examine lapses in crowd management and event safety, Stalin has ordered a judicial inquiry headed by retired Madras High Court judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan.
Senior ministers Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and Ma. Subramanian rushed to Karur to oversee rescue and medical operations, while additional teams of doctors and paramedics were deployed from nearby districts.
Stalin is expected to visit Karur tonight to meet the injured and console the families of the victims. Police have cordoned off the venue and launched an investigation into the collapse of crowd control measures.
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Heatwave scorches Odisha, Jharsuguda reels under 43.6 degrees C
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Heatwave conditions scorched Odisha on Tuesday, with the IMD forecasting that hot and humid conditions would continue in parts of the state.
The IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre said Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati districts were likely to experience hot and humid conditions on April 22.
It also predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds in parts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput, among others.
On Tuesday, 18 places across Odisha recorded maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or above. The industrial town of Jharsuguda was the hottest in the state at 43.6 degrees Celsius.
Sambalpur and Titlagarh recorded 42.5 degrees Celsius each, followed by Hirakud at 42.4 degrees, Bolangir at 42.2 degrees and Angul at 42.1 degrees.
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 37.9 degrees Celsius and 38.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, with relative humidity levels remaining above 70 per cent.
Meanwhile, the state government directed all district education officers to conduct a Summer Learning Programme for students till class 8 in government schools during the summer vacation.
Officials said students would be given practice assignments along with audio-visual learning content.
Subject-wise assignment sheets have been prepared, while related digital material will be shared through school parents' WhatsApp groups using a chatbot system, they said.
