Nearly 1.5 million people thronged to Chennai’s Marina Beach to witness the IAF airshow. (Photo via X/@InfraBest)
Chennai: Four people lost their lives during an Indian Air Force airshow held on Sunday, at Chennai’s Marina Beach, in the lead up to the Indian Force Day, which is on October 8. The victims, identified as Srinivasan, 48; Karthikeyan, 34; John Babu, 56; and Dinesh, succumbed to dehydration and exhaustion due to the intense heat and poor crowd management.
Around 100 others were hospitalized, with many collapsing from heatstroke and dehydration as temperatures soared to 36-degrees celsius during the event.
The airshow, organized to celebrate the IAF’s 92nd anniversary, drew an estimated 13–15 lakh attendees, which made it one of the largest gatherings for such an event. The Chennai Police said it expected around 10 lakh people to witness the airshow. However, chaos ensued when spectators attempted to leave the venue all at once, resulting in massive congestion. Emergency services, including ambulances, were trapped in the crowd.
According to eyewitnesses, several people were forced to climb walls and trees to escape the suffocating conditions.
Despite prior arrangements for managing a large crowd, the provisions for drinking water and medical assistance proved insufficient. Several hundred people required medical attention. According to some officials, over 300 individuals needed medical attention, with many treated at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and other nearby facilities.
The lack of proper crowd management and traffic planning only worsened the situation, leaving hundreds stranded on roads and outside railway stations. The Chennai Metro increased train frequency to manage the surge in passengers, but the crowds remained overwhelming, especially at key stations, like Chintadripet MRTS (mass rapid transit system).
This tragic incident has led to widespread criticism of the local authorities for their inadequate planning. Opposition leaders, including the AIADMK and BJP, condemned the ruling DMK government for failing to ensure public safety at such a massive event, with allegations of negligence being raised.
In response, state officials insisted they had made necessary arrangements, including deploying ambulances and health teams at the venue. Nonetheless, the MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government has announced an investigation into the incident, promising to address the lapses in crowd control and emergency response.
