Five people died, and nearly 100 were hospitalized after an Indian Air Force (IAF) air show at Marina Beach turned deadly due to extreme heat and poor logistical planning. The massive crowd, estimated at over 1.5 million, endured hours of sweltering heat and inadequate facilities, leading to chaos and dehydration.
The victims—V Karthikeyan, D John, Srinivasan, Mani, and Dinesh, all residents of Chennai—succumbed to heat-related complications as temperatures soared above 34°C. The high humidity pushed the wet-bulb temperature to dangerous levels, causing severe dehydration among attendees. Health Minister M Subramanian claimed that precautions had been taken, including the deployment of 40 ambulances and paramedical staff, but these measures proved insufficient for the vast crowd.
Reports from witnesses painted a grim picture of the event. Chandramohan, a software engineer who attended the air show, criticized the lack of drinking water despite the blistering heat. “I saw people fainting around me. The worst part was the exit—roads were choked, and buses couldn’t move,” he said.
Karthikeyan, one of the deceased, had attended the event with his wife and daughter. His wife recounted how he went to retrieve their vehicle but never returned, later found unresponsive near Napier Bridge. “I kept trying to call him for two hours, but a stranger finally answered and said he had fainted,” she said tearfully.
Adding to the crisis was the poor management of transportation and traffic. Local trains and the Metro system were overwhelmed, with Chennai Metro registering a record-breaking 400,000 riders. Many attendees criticized the authorities for not increasing train and Metro frequencies to accommodate the massive crowds.
“It took three hours to cover a one-kilometer stretch near the beach,” said K Venkat, another attendee, reflecting the frustration many felt with the city’s traffic management.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin attributed the deaths to the extreme heat and unforeseen medical complications, acknowledging that the crowd size far exceeded expectations. “Next time, more attention and arrangements will be made for such events,” he assured.
However, opposition parties, including the AIADMK and BJP, seized the opportunity to blame the state government for its alleged failure to manage the event. “The chief minister should take responsibility for this tragedy,” said AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami.
BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy echoed similar sentiments, calling the event “a mismanaged disaster” and criticizing the lack of coordination between the Tamil Nadu government, Chennai Corporation, and Chennai police.
As investigations continue, the air show’s organizers and state authorities are under scrutiny for the apparent lapses in planning and crowd management that contributed to the tragic loss of life.
Sources By Agencies
