Spectators during an air show as part of the 92nd Indian Air Force (IAF) Day, at the Marina Beach, in Chennai.
Credit: PTI Photo
Chennai: At least five people died and over 40 were hospitalised as chaos prevailed at the Indian Air Force’s air show here on Sunday due to poor crowd management by the organisers and Tamil Nadu government authorities.
While there was no stampede at the Marina Beach, the venue of the spectacular show organised in Chennai to commemorate IAF’s 92nd anniversary, the deaths were reported due to dehydration, exhaustion, and stress of the audience. The event did earn a spot in the Limca Book of Records for its record attendance, but the deaths took off the sheen.
Officials said five people who came from different parts of the city to view the show at the Marina Beach were dead. “About 40 people are in various hospitals after they complained of dehydration, and exhaustion. Over 150 people were given first aid at hospitals across the city,” a government official said.
The deaths occurred at the arterial Anna Salai, and near the Marina Beach, as over 10 lakh people descended on Asia’s longest beach to witness India’s military prowess. People were forced to walk for kilometers together due to lack of proper logistics, including transport arrangements, in the scorching sun.
Those who were at the Marina Beach also complained of adequate arrangements to provide water for the viewers, forcing people to get first aid due to dehydration. Visuals beamed on Tamil television channels showed thousands of people waiting at railway stations and walking on the roads leading to the Marina Beach, clearly exposing the IAF and Tamil Nadu government.
Though IAF and the state government widely publicised the air show, the arrangements seemed inadequate to handle a crowd of over 10 lakh. People began assembling at the Marina Beach as early as 7 am for the air show, which was held between 11 am and 1 pm, while heavy traffic snarls were reported across the city.
However, according to police and eye-witnesses, the chaos began at 1 pm when the show ended as the crowd left the venue at one go. “There was no traffic management at the Marina Beach. It was chaos all over with people being forced to walk for kilometers together. I myself saw a couple of people fainting due to the heat,” Anandhi, who attended the show, told DH.