No exit, no air to breathe: Eyewitnesses

Recalling the horror of stampede at Vijay's rally, locals say proper management could have averted disaster

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SCATTERED slippers, torn out banners and traffic congestion caused by cars of leaders visiting Velusamypuram on Sunday morning stood testament to the loss of 40 lives, from a oneand-a-half-year-old child to a 60-year-old woman, who were crushed to death in a stampede during Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay's public meeting the previous evening.

But hours before Vijay arrived on Saturday, the narrow 60-foot road that was chosen for the meeting had turned into a trap. Locals and survivors said the venue was a recipe for disaster. The stretch was barricaded at the ends by banners erected for Vijay and a road divider, leaving people without an escape route.