Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai accused the state government of mishandling the event. “I was shocked to hear that five people died and more than 200 were hospitalised cause of heatstroke during the IAF air show at Marina Beach. DMK government did not ensure basic facilities or proper transport for the public, and this carelessness led to the tragedy,” he said on his X handle.
Annamalai strongly condemned the government’s negligence, holding them responsible for the deaths and injuries, and called it a failure of Chief Minister MK Stalin’s administration.

Succumb To Heat And Overcrowding

The IAF air show was a huge crowd-puller; however, things could have worsened as people began to fall prey to heatstroke and overcrowding. D. John collapsed while walking with his family near Kamarajar Salai and Karthikeyan fainted near INS Adyar. They were taken to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGH) for treatment; however, they did not survive.

The total number of people who fainted was more than 300, out of which 43 were treated at the RGGH. Many others received first aid on the spot or were taken to nearby hospitals like the Government Royapettah Hospital.

Poor Crowd Management Saw Chaos

People witnessed horror in fact that people were fighting their way out of the grounds. Even though approximately 1.3 million people attended the event, the police and traffic officers were insufficient for the ceremony. It got worse when ambulances and buses became stuck in long queues and caused a resultant delay in medical care delivery.

Hundreds of audience members, including families with small children and the aged, bore the brunt of the three-hour show when there was no availability of the basic need-their drinking water-in the scorching heat of 35 degrees Celsius. A college student, Nirmala, who had attended the show, said that whereas entry into the show was hassle-free, exit was the reverse.

Doctors at RGGH say that cases of heat-related conditions were on the increase and patients showed highly severe symptoms of heatstroke, dehydration, and dizziness. says Dr. E. Therani Rajan, Dean of RGGH: if the treatment for such conditions gets delayed, then it would cause serious complications.

Eye Witnesses Describe Scenes

John, who had accompanied his wife Elisamma and brother-in-law Shyam Kumar to watch the show, fainted while walking along Kamarajar Salai. Karthikeyan collapsed near INS Adyar when he was feeling chest pains. Both were taken to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGH) but could not be saved. Medical personnel are waiting for postmortem results to know the cause of death.

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