Chennai air show tragedy: Death toll reaches five, stirs political blame game

The incident occurred during the event commemorating the IAF's 92nd Inauguration Day, which attracted a massive crowd eager to witness the aerial display.

At least five people have died and over 50 others have been hospitalised following an Indian Air Force (IAF) air show at Marina Beach in Chennai on Sunday. The incident occurred during the event commemorating the IAF's 92nd Inauguration Day, which attracted a massive crowd eager to witness the aerial display.

According to a senior police official, one person died on the beachfront and four others in nearby areas, all among the thousands who gathered along the several kilometers of shoreline to watch the show, which ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The incident has ignited a political blame game, with the Opposition, particularly the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), demanding the resignation of key leaders from Chief Minister MK Stalin's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government. The state government, on the other hand, has asserted that none of the deaths were due to a stampede-like situation or any form of mismanagement.

AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami was quick to condemn the DMK government, alleging that it failed to coordinate adequately and provide proper security arrangements for such a significant event. In a statement, he highlighted the scale of the air show, marking the 92nd Inauguration Day of the Indian Air Force, and noted that advance notifications indicated a large turnout.

Taking to microblogging site X, Palaniswami posted in a regional language, “On the occasion of the 92nd Inauguration Day of the Indian Air Force, one of the main components of the Indian Defense Department, an air adventure program was staged in Chennai today to celebrate the strength of the Air Force. As the notification for this was published in advance, knowing that lakhs of people will come to visit, the Tamil Nadu government informed that arrangements have been made for transportation and basic facilities".

92 , .
, Edappadi K Palaniswami - Say No To Drugs & DMK (@EPSTamilNadu) October 6, 2024

DMK leaders, however, defended their organisation of the event, stating that the deaths were not due to crowd mismanagement but rather to the extreme heat and long distances attendees had to walk. DMK leader Saravanan Annadurai urged an investigation into the fatalities, underscoring that many of those hospitalised had already been discharged.

DMK MP Kanimozhi expressed her condolences but highlighted the need to reconsider the management of large gatherings in the future, calling the situation "sad and painful."

She posted on X, "The news of the death of 5 people is very sad and painful when the public who witnessed the military flight adventure program held at the Marina beach in Chennai suffered from the crowd and the temperature was high. Unmanageable gatherings should also be avoided".

, 5 . , Kanimozhi () (@KanimozhiDMK) October 7, 2024

The incident prompted further backlash from the AIADMK and BJP, with AIADMK leader Kovai Sathyan demanding the resignation of Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian. He accused the DMK government of incompetence in handling such a significant event, criticising the lack of basic amenities like drinking water and medical assistance.

“When you have an incompetent person as your chief minister, his counsel of ministers will also be incompetent. You cannot accept a better result than this. While MK Stalin and his family happily watched the show in the air-conditioned makeshift, the people had to walk for five to ten km to watch this air show", he remarked.

BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai also denounced the DMK government for inadequate safety measures and public transport arrangements, asserting that the administration failed to prioritise public welfare.

“The fact that Chief Minister Stalin did not even make the arrangements for his self-promotions for an event attended by lakhs of people shows the utter failure of his administration. The loss of 5 lives cannot be passed off as an accident. The DMK government is fully responsible for this as it neglected even the basic arrangements," he stated on X.

, , 5 , 200 .
K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) October 6, 2024

Health Minister Ma Subramanian stated that the Tamil Nadu government had cooperated fully with the IAF, holding multiple coordination meetings to prepare for the event. He outlined various measures taken, including the deployment of two medical teams, 40 ambulances, and the readiness of 100 hospital beds and 65 doctors at government medical facilities.

“Hunderd beds and 65 doctors were kept ready at government medical college hospitals including Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. Necessary arrangements have been made for adequate number of temporary latrines and drinking water supply at the Marina Beach by the Chennai Metropolitan Corporation and the Chennai Water and Sewerage Board. Seventy-five hundred security guards have been deployed for security in view of the possibility of large number of people coming," Subramanian wrote on X.

How did the air show turn chaotic

The air show turned chaotic as many attendees faced severe conditions, standing in the scorching sun for two to three hours. An anonymous government official revealed that over 50 people were hospitalised due to dehydration and exhaustion, as per a Hindustan Times report.

Attendees expressed growing frustration over inadequate crowd control and traffic management, which led to significant congestion throughout the city. As the event concluded, the rush to leave resulted in further chaos, leaving hundreds stranded on roads, outside railway stations, and at metro stations, states the report.

Owing to the overwhelming turnout, Chennai Metro increased train frequency only after the event had commenced, causing long wait times for many passengers.

After the event, arterial roads near the beach became severely congested, with local trains, including the MRTS and Metro, as well as buses operating at full capacity. As per the report, traffic restrictions forced attendees to walk long distances to reach buses or train stations.