Trigger warning: Disturbing visuals
Vistex Asia CEO Sanjay Shah died after falling off a "paalki" or palanquin-like contraption during an aerial act after one of the metal wires holding it up snapped during an event to mark the company’s 25th anniversary on Thursday. He was 56.
According to a report in Newstrap, Vistex Asia had organised a two-day event at Ramoji Film City on the outskirts of Hyderabad to celebrate its silver jubilee. Shah, who is based in Illinois, USA, had booked rooms for his employees for the grand two-day event on January 18 and 19.
As part of the celebrations, around 700 people gathered at the venue on Thursday evening to watch an aerial show.
“A specially designed stage made of wood was elevated 20-feet above the concrete stage using a crane. The act involved a 6 mm iron wire with two layers on both sides. Unfortunately, during the performance, one side of the rope snapped without a warning and the stage fell on the people below,” inspector A Manmohan of Abdullapurmet told Telangana Today.
The stage fell directly on Sanjay Shah, founder and CEO of Vistex Asia, and Vishwanath Raj Datla, the president of the company. Both suffered serious injuries and were rushed to a private hospital in the vicinity. From Maxi Cure Hospital they were later transferred to Yashoda Hospital in Malakpet.
Unfortunately, Shah succumbed to his injuries on Friday morning, while Datla’s condition remains critical.
Based on a complaint by Janakiram Raku Kalidindi, executive director of Vistex Asia, a complaint has been registered against Usha Kiran Events, the event management authority of Ramoji Film City.
Sanjay Shah, a Mumbai native, had set up Vistex in 1999. The revenue management solutions and services firm has a turnover of around $300 million.
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