At least 36 people have been killed and more than 50 injured in a crush at a rally for a popular actor and politician in India.

The health minister in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Ma Subramanian, told the Associated Press late on Saturday that the victims, including eight children, were dead by the time they arrived at hospital. The injured were in a stable condition, he added. The rally was being addressed by Tamil actor Vijay, who is campaigning for election, Tamil Nadu’s chief minister, MK Stalin, said.

Vijay, one of Tamil cinema’s most bankable actors for three decades, has drawn large crowds to his public meetings since launching his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, in 2024, which has targeted both the state ruling party DMK and prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party. He is campaigning ahead of state elections that are to be held in early 2026.

Videos from local media show thousands of people surrounding a large campaign vehicle on top of which Vijay is seen standing and speaking. During the rally, visuals showed Vijay throwing water bottles from the top of the vehicle to fainting supporters and calling for police help when the crowd became uncontrollable.