“I saw a little kid faint, and his parents were not aware, although they were holding his hand. Several women were breaking down in tears and falling to the ground unable to take the pressing crowds, and the heat,” recalled Sangeetha Rajeesh, who along with her family had been to the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) airshow held at Chennai’s Marina Beach on Sunday.
At least five spectators were killed and nearly 100 were hospitalised due to dehydration at the event. According to Tamil Nadu health department, 93 attendees were hospitalised due to heatstroke and dehydration. Most of them got discharged after receiving necessary medical aid.
Sangeetha narrated the ordeal that she and many like her went through post the air show. “The children around me were screaming and crying, and parents were struggling. It was really sad. Some parents put their kids to up on the walls and police cars… I saw elderly women collapse on the road…” she said.
Sangeetha along with her husband and her children left their residence for the airshow at 8:15 am but because of poor crowd management and chaos, they reached home at around 6 pm.
“The chaos began after the event was over. To our shock we found that the exit routes were not marked. We felt trapped, with all the barricades put up along Marina. We lost site of the kids amidst the crowds around 1.30 pm, and where able to find out where they only around 4 pm,” she said.
Sangeetha said there was a stampede like situation and many around her were collapsing due to dehydration. “My husband and I managed to break away from the stampede-like situation, and force our way back to the beach for some air. He could not take it anymore and was almost collapsing, so we found some shade near an eatery next Jayalalithaa’s memorial. We had run out of water. There was no water available,” she recounted.
“The police spent all their energies and money on taking care of the VIPs and VVIPs. Left all other people in the lurch.,” she added.
Many stranded people blamed the poor crowd management for this chaos. The Triplicane metro station was overflowing with people from the show.
Vignesh, a Chennai resident who had been through the ordeal, was also one of the thousands who was stranded at Triplicane station to return home.
“There were clearly thousands of people at the Triplicane station. That was the only way to return from the Marina. Public transport was over advertised but there was not adequate capacity to handle the crowds. Had people been advised enough parking or passes were issued with combination of personal and public transport, such incidents would not happen, Vignesh said.
State police have come under fire over five deaths, allegedly due to the incidents on Sunday, and nearly 100 hospitalisations. Sources say many were dehydrated and there was no drinking water available as tens of thousands were stranded for hours around Marina post the air show.
Opposition parties have been quick to blame the state government.
Narayanan Tirupathi, BJP State Vice President, said, “It is clear that the state govt knowing fully well that it would be crowded, neglected the common people and preferred to facilitate bureaucrats and VVIPs. This is maladministration.”
The AIADMK lashed out at the DMK. Edappadi K Palaniswami took to X and said, ” I strongly condemn the DMK government for failing to provide security for the event. The state Government said proper arrangements were made for public transport and basic facilities, but it failed,”
The IAF held an airshow to commemorate its 92nd anniversary.
The airshow, conducted on the Marina Beach, between the Lighthouse and Chennai Port, was witnessed among others by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, state ministers, Chennai Mayor R Priya and a host of other dignitaries.
The airshow had included a show by the Special Garud Force commandos in a simulated rescue operation and in freeing the hostage.
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