At least five people were killed and 50 others hospitalised as a sea of spectators gathered at the Marina beach in Chennai on Sunday for the Indian Air Force’s air show.
While reports say that the deaths were caused due to dehydration and extreme exhaustion, people who attended the event say there was poor crowd management, lack of traffic planning and inadequate public transport.
One person died on the beachfront and four others in the vicinity and all the five were among the thousands who had gathered along the several kilometer long shoreline to witness the air show, a senior police official told news agency PTI. The event, held in the open, began at 11am and went on till 1pm.
Thousands, who turned up to witness the spectacle, stood in the scorching sun for atleast 2 to 3 hours and a lot of them held umbrellas to shield themselves.
“More than 50 people are in various hospitals after they complained of dehydration, and exhaustion,” a government official said requesting anonymity.
Attendees voiced their frustrations regarding the lack of crowd control and traffic management, which contributed to significant congestion around the city. As the show concluded, a rush to leave led to further chaos, with hundreds stranded on roads, outside railway stations, and metro stations.
In response to the overwhelming turnout, Chennai Metro increased the frequency of trains only after the event began, leaving many waiting for extended periods. Local authorities are now facing criticism for their inability to anticipate and manage the crowd size effectively.
Several persons fainted due to exhaustion and emergency workers carried them in stretches and provided care in shelters.
After the event, arterial roads, especially those close to the beach area, were fully choked and local trains, including the MRTS and Metro, besides buses, were jampacked.
The bus stop at Anna Square, in close proximity to the display venue, overflowed with people. In view of traffic restrictions, people had to walk a considerable distance to catch buses or reach train stations.
Though a stampede-like situation emerged for a while when thousands tried to exit the venue at the same time, police said they successfully regulated the crowd and made safe passage for ambulances.
BJP vs DMK over Chennai air show deaths
State Health Minister M Subramanian defended the state’s preparedness, noting that two health teams with adequate medical personnel were deployed at the venue. “Forty ambulances were stationed with paramedical teams,” he assured. However, the tragic incident have left many questioning the adequacy of the measures taken.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai blamed the DMK government saying it didn’t make proper arrangements for thousands of people who attended the event.
“I was shocked to hear that 5 people died due to crowding and more than 200 people were injured and admitted to the hospital for treatment during the IAF ‘AIR Show’ program held at Chennai Marina Beach. The only reason for this is that the DMK government has not taken care of the safety of the public without providing basic facilities and adequate transport arrangements for the public who came to witness the IAF Air Show,” Annamalai wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).