Synopsis: When thousands converged at Velasagampuram in Tamil Nadu’s Karur on Saturday, the air was brimming with festivity as fans of actor-turned-politician Vijay waited in anticipation throughout the day with their families and loved ones. It took only a few minutes of confusion and panic to set off a chain reaction that ultimately claimed 40 lives and left more than a hundred injured. Those who had set out with excitement returned only in grief, with stories of mothers, young couples, and even toddlers among the victims, each mourning an unimaginable loss.

Hemalatha, a 28-year-old mother from Vishwanathapuri, in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district had planned the day carefully.

Her daughters, eight-year-old Sailakshna and four-year-old Saijeeva, were thrilled to accompany her to see their

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