Chennai: Post-air show chaos claims five lives

Chennai: A spectacular Indian Air Force (IAF) air show over Chennai’s Marina Beach turned tragic Sunday as massive crowds led to transportation chaos and five fatalities. The event, which drew thousands to the iconic beachfront, was followed by severe congestion at public transport hubs and major roads, leaving spectators struggling to return home.

A senior police official confirmed that five persons died in separate incidents while attempting to leave the venue. One victim succumbed at a government hospital, while another collapsed near his motorcycle on Anna Salai. Additionally, approximately 35 people were hospitalised with dehydration symptoms.

“Nearly a dozen people swooned on the Marina due to a near stampede-like situation and also because of the hot weather,” the police official reported. Emergency services faced challenges reaching affected individuals, requiring police intervention to clear paths for ambulances.

The aftermath of the show, which concluded at 1 pm, created unprecedented congestion at key transport nodes. The Lighthouse metro station and Velachery MRTS railway station were overwhelmed, with platforms packed beyond capacity. Many spectators found themselves unable to board trains or even find standing space.

K Sridhar, a Velachery resident who attended with his family, described the ordeal: “I found it extremely difficult to take the MRTS train to Chintadripet as Velachery station was fully packed with people eager to see the air display.”

Traffic on arterial roads remained gridlocked for several hours after the event, with vehicles barely moving. Normal traffic flow was only restored three hours after the show’s conclusion, according to police officials.

To witness the event, thousands of people stood in the scorching sun for atleast 2 to 3 hours and a lot of them held umbrellas to shield themselves. Though the air show was held between 11 am to 1 pm, most people gathered at the venue at least an hour before.

Following the event, arterial roads, especially those close to the beach area, were fully choked and local trains, including the MRTS and Metro, besides buses, were jampacked.

Though a stampede-like situation emerged for a while when thousands tried to exit the venue at the same time, police said they successfully regulated the crowd and made safe passage for ambulances.