In celebration of the Indian Air Force's 92nd anniversary, an air show was held in Chennai. Tragically, three people lost their lives due to dehydration, while 230 others were hospitalized. The deceased individuals have been identified as Srinivasan (48) from Perungalathur, Karthikeyan (34) from Thiruvottiyur, and John (56) from Korukkupet. Poor coordination by transportation officials reportedly left millions stranded in Chennai, with similar incidents occurring citywide where people remained stuck in traffic for hours. Meanwhile, dispersing the massive crowd gathered at Marina Beach (the air show venue) post-event was notably challenging.
The air show, set to register in the Limca Book of World Records by gathering 1.6 million attendees, commenced at 11 AM and concluded at 1 PM. Despite this, thousands had already gathered by 8 AM under the scorching sun, causing several elderly individuals to faint due to the heat even before the event started.
Source: aajtak
The situation worsened as nearby water vendors were removed, leaving attendees without access to drinking water. As the show concluded, the enormous crowd attempted to exit simultaneously towards Kamarajar Salai, resulting in a complete traffic blockade. Exhausted by the heat and crowds, many resorted to sitting along the roadside.
Nevertheless, locals near the beach offered help, providing drinking water to those in need. Meanwhile, metro stations experienced overwhelming congestion as people sought alternative routes to return home. The incident has sparked public anger over the lack of planning and preparedness.
