By Anbarasan Ethirajan
Copyright bbc
The death toll includes at least 16 women, nine men and six children, state health minister Ma Subramanian told local media.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said some people were taken to hospital after fainting in the crush. Extra assistance has been requested from doctors working in nearby districts, he added.
Compensation of one million rupees ($11,300; £8,400) will be provided to the families of the deceased, Stalin added, and there will be an inquiry into the incident.
In an online statement, Vijay said his heart was “broken” and he was in “unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow.”
He sent his “deepest sympathies and condolences” to the families of those who died, and prayers for a “speedy recovery” to those in hospital.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident was “unfortunate” and “deeply saddening”, in a post on X.
Deadly crushes are not uncommon in India, and there have been several similarly tragic incidents this year alone, including at the famous Kumbh Mela Hindu festival and outside a cricket stadium.
