At least 31 people were killed and more than 50 injured on Saturday at a rally held by Tamil actor Vijay, who is campaigning for election, state officials said.

“Thirty-one people died with more than 50 people now hospitalised,” said V Selvaraj, a senior police official in the district of Karur in Tamil Nadu, where the incident occurred.

Large crowds had gathered for the meeting, part of Vijay’s ongoing state tour for his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.

Vijay, who is a well-known actor and goes by only one name, launched a political party last year and began campaigning this month ahead of state elections that are to be held early next year.

State lawmaker Senthil Balaji told reporters that 58 people were hospitalised after what he said was a stampede. He added that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will visit the area on Sunday.

“The unfortunate incident during a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, is deeply saddening,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X.

Calls to Tamil Nadu state’s health ministry and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s office went unanswered.

“The news coming from Karur is worrying,” Stalin said in an X post, adding that he had directed ministers and officials to provide urgent medical aid to those who collapsed at the Karur rally and ordered additional assistance from nearby Tiruchirappalli.

At least 44 doctors from the nearby districts of Tiruchirappalli and Salem were sent to Karur, media reports said.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he was directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to send troops to Portland, Oregon and to protect federal immigration facilities against “domestic terrorists”, saying he was authorising them to use “full force, if necessary.”

“At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Portland’s mayor, Keith Wilson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a press conference on Friday, Wilson said an apparent influx of federal officers did not come at the request of the city, and called it an overreach and a distraction.

On Thursday, Trump told reporters that “crazy people” were trying to burn buildings in Portland. “They’re professional agitators and anarchists,” he said, without providing evidence.

Trump has made crime a major focus of his administration even as violent crime rates have fallen in many US cities. His crackdown on Democratic-led municipalities including Los Angeles and Washington has fueled legal concerns and spurred protests.

US President Donald Trump’s granddaughter has unveiled a clothing brand bearing her name, with promotional photos taken at the White House featuring the teen in a $130 sweatshirt.

Don Jr.’s daughter stood near the 79-year-old Republican on Friday wearing one of her brand’s pullovers, as he answered reporters´ questions outside the White House.

“This is Kai, by the way,” he told the Washington press corps, introducing his 18-year-old granddaughter who had given a short speech at last year’s Republican National Convention.

The pair, both keen golfers, then boarded a helicopter as they headed off to attend the sport’s Ryder Cup competition.

The eldest of the US president’s grandchildren, who is expected to join the golf team at the University of Miami next year, announced the launch of her clothing brand on social media Thursday.

A website selling the brand’s $130 sweatshirts — plain crew necks with her initials on the chest and her signature at the cuff — features photos of her wearing them while posing on the White House grounds.

Kai’s parents are divorced, and her mother is reportedly dating golf legend Tiger Woods.

Unlike previous officeholders, the current president of the United States is known for selling a wide variety of self-branded merchandise.

The billionaire is regularly accused of using his position to promote the Trump family’s financial interests, particularly in real estate or cryptocurrencies.