4 women killed in Tamil Nadu stampede

VANIYAMBADI: Four women, aged between 60 and 75, died while 12 others were injured in a stampede to collect tokens for free veshties and sarees being offered by abusinessman at Vaniyambadi in Tamil Nadu’s Tirupattur district on Saturday.
Police said a local businessman who runs a blue metal company had offered free clothes for the Thaipoosam festival and at least 2,000 people, mostly women, had gathered outside his factory gates to collect tokens.The moment his staff opened the factory gates in the morning, there was a rush to get in and several women in the front of the crowd fell.
By the time order was restored by police and revenue officials, several women had been injured. They were rushed to Vaniyambadi government general hospital where Valliammal (60) from Kurumpatti, Nagammal (60) from Eechampattu, Rajathi (60) from Arapandakuppam, and Malliga (75) from Old Vaniyambadi, were declared dead.
Tirupathur district superintendent of police K S Balla Krisshnan said the businessman, Iyappan, was taken into custody. Police have registered a case.
Vaniyambadi MLA G Sendhil Kumar (AIADMK) visited the hospital and urged the government to provide a solatium of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh each for the injured.