Chennai airshow tragedy | Didn’t expect crowd of 15L: Stalin govt

More crowd than expected

While five people died of dehydration after being trapped in a surging crowd of 15 lakh people who had assembled to watch the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) airshow at Chennai’s Marina beach on Sunday (October 6), more than 90 are currently hospitalised. The event, organised by the IAF to commemorate its 92nd anniversary, left painful memories for many attendees, with reports describing many to have fainted in the crowd and about families struggling to locate their children.

Also read: Chennai’s IAF airshow draws record crowd; 5 visitors die of extreme exhaustion

According to police, the discrepancy between the expected and the actual crowd size led to chaos during the airshow. While city police anticipated a turnout of around 10 lakh people, the crowd swelled to over 15 lakh. As the numbers increased rapidly, the decision to release the crowd in batches instead of all at once too did not help.

Chennai in a gridlock

Although Chennai Traffic Police claimed to have made significant efforts to manage traffic, spectators posted photos on social media showing a massive crowd. According to a press release from the information bureau, 15 lakhs people thronged to Marina to witness the event. Scores of people travelled to the venue via train, metro, cars, and buses.

Sources within the Chennai Traffic Police department told The Federal that the crowd peaked between 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm as thousands attempted to leave the area, creating significant tension.

Arterial roads connecting Marina Beach to other parts of Chennai experienced heavy congestion, with vehicles stuck for long periods. Images of overcrowded metro and railway stations circulated widely, and many individuals were unable to reach the platforms. Some even abandoned their plans due to the overwhelming crowd.

7,500 personnel no match to crowd of 15 lakh

When questioned about ambulances getting stuck, an officer from the Traffic Police department explained, “It was unexpected. We had posted 1,100 personnel to manage traffic, but we couldn't deploy additional staff from other districts due to their unfamiliarity with the city’s traffic routes.”

The officer noted that despite the challenges, they managed to avoid a stampede by clearing the venue within three hours.

Close 7,500 police personnel including 1,100 traffic cops were posted on duty only for this event, he said.

The officer compared the situation to traffic management during important cricket matches at Chepauk Stadium, which accommodates 30,000 spectators and is cleared within one-and-a-half hours.

“Clearing 15 lakh persons from various exit points in three hours is an unimaginable task. We had provided parking for 20,000 vehicles and issued advisories regarding potential congestion. It would have been advisable for senior citizens and children to avoid such a crowded event,” he added.

‘State-sponsored murder’, says Opposition

The Opposition BJP and AIADMK tore into the DMK government, accusing it of abysmal crowd management and of playing with the lives of people.

The opposition parties alleged that the state government didn’t even make proper medical arrangements to handle eventualities.

Condemning the incident, AIADMK general secretary and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said the state government such be held accountable for the tragedy.

“I am shocked to learn the death of five people and over 200 getting hospitalised. The ruling DMK’s callousness in providing necessary security is only reason for this tragedy. It is a complete failure of the administration as it is run only for the benefit of the family,” state BJP president K Annamalai said in a post on X.

BJP leader Shahzad Poonawalla said the tragedy at Marina was a “state-sponsored murder” for which the DMK government and the chief minister were directly responsible.

DMK government’s defence

The DMK government, however, has sought to defend itself by stating that it had made all possible arrangements to manage crowd but the turnout was much more than expected.

Stressing that Marina beach didn’t have the required capacity to accommodate such an enormous crowd, DMK leader TKS Elangovan said that the IAF should have coordinated with the Tamil Nadu government to avert such an incident.

“The turnout was unexpected. The Air Force should have coordinated with the Tamil Nadu government, but Marina cannot accommodate such a crowd,” he told The Federal.

In an interaction with ANI, Elangovan dismissing Opposition allegations against the government, said that it was the state government which made all the arrangement to ensure the hospitalisation of over 100 people.

"People were gathered in large numbers at the Marina Beach...The event was conducted by the Indian Air Force...The crowd was unexpectedly huge which Marina could not hold...Such kinds of incidents have also happened in many temple festivals...Opposition leaders will always accuse us of anything. They will not manage anything. More than 100 people were taken to the hospital. The state government has made all the arrangements," he told ANI.

Must avoid gatherings that can’t be managed: Kanimozhi

Meanwhile, DMK MP Kanimozhi expressed her sorrow over the deaths, stating, “It is very painful to know that five have died due to the soaring heat after attending the IAF Air Show. We must avoid gatherings that cannot be managed in the future.”

Health Minister Ma Subramanian reported that 102 individuals were hospitalised, with 40 discharged after treatment. He insisted that all necessary arrangements were made, attributing the incidents to high temperatures.

This airshow marked the IAF's return to Chennai after 21 years, and although it was widely publicised, the arrangements ultimately proved inadequate, leading to numerous reports of dehydration and fainting among attendees. Despite this, the health minister maintained that all necessary measures were taken in consultation with air force authorities.