Two Killed En Route To Actor Vijay's TVK Conference; Huge Turnout In Tamil Nadu's Villupuram

Two people died en route to Vijay's TVK conference, including one youth killed on the spot in a sand truck collision.

Villupuram: Two people lost their lives en route to Kollywood star Thalapathy Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party conference at Vikravandi V Salai village in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district. In the first incident, two youths travelling by two-wheeler from Central Moor Market, Chennai, towards Thenampet TMS Metro Station met with an accident when a sand truck collided with their vehicle. The Thenampet police confirmed that one youth died on the spot.

In a separate incident, the Villupuram Railway Police reported that a person died after jumping from a moving train near Vikravandi while another youth was seriously injured and is receiving treatment. Both victims were reportedly travelling to the TVK event.

The conference drew massive crowds, with State Police estimating that nearly one lakh people had gathered by 10 am. Entry into the arena began at 11 am, but traffic congestion continued, with thousands of vehicles crossing the Villupuram toll gate throughout the day.

ETV Bharat reporters Anandaraj and Yogesh Kumar stated that the press and VIP areas were overwhelmed by attendees. To escape the scorching midday heat, many participants held chairs over their heads for shade. Despite water tanks provided by the TVK party, many attendees avoided moving, fearing they would lose their seats.

Eleven medical camps were set up on-site, treating over 50 people in each. The district medical department deployed 300 doctors and 25 ambulances, with 24 ambulances stationed near the first camp to transport critical patients to government hospitals.

In an interview with ETV Bharat, Sundaram, a resident of V Salai, remarked, "I have never seen such a gathering, not even during MGR’s meeting in Mambalam, Chennai."

The TVK organisers introduced QR code scanners for attendees to register and download digital attendance certificates. However, many reported difficulties using the scanners due to poor internet connectivity caused by the heavy crowd.