The Tamil Nadu government is under fire from the Opposition after five spectators died and over 200 were hospitalised during an Indian Air Force (IAF) air show in Chennai on Sunday.
The event, held at Marina Beach to celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the IAF, quickly descended into chaos as thousands of people struggled with overcrowding, traffic jams, and lack of basic amenities in the sweltering heat.
AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned the DMK government for inadequate planning and poor crowd management, laying the blame squarely on Chief Minister MK Stalin’s administration.
“Administrative arrangements and crowds were not managed properly, and the police force was inadequate. The news is shocking that people were stuck in heavy traffic, with no drinking water available, and many were hospitalised due to heatstroke. Five people have died so far,” Palaniswami posted on X.
Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai also blasted the government, accusing it of negligence. He described the deaths and injuries as preventable, had proper facilities been in place.
“I was shocked to hear that five people died due to crowding, and more than 200 people were injured and admitted to the hospital during the IAF air show. The only reason for this is that the DMK government did not take care of public safety, failing to provide basic facilities and adequate transport arrangements,” Annamalai wrote in Tamil on X.
Annamalai further targeted Chief Minister Stalin, calling the incident a “complete failure of administration.”
“The fact that Chief Minister MK Stalin can organise events for his own promotion but didn’t make proper arrangements for such a large public event is telling. This can’t be dismissed as only an accident; it’s administrative failure,” he said.
Lok Sabha MP Karti Chidambaram, a member of the Congress party, an ally of the ruling DMK, also waded into the controversy. “Spectacle in the Sky. Tragedy on Ground,” Chidambaram tweeted.
Government’s Defence
Facing mounting criticism along with calls for his resignation, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian defended the state government’s efforts, claiming it had gone above and beyond the IAF’s requests for the event.
“The state government formed two medical teams with doctors and nurses for emergency response. The Army also sent medical teams, and 40 ambulances were on-site. We had 100 beds and 65 doctors ready at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for any emergency,” Subramanian stated.
Despite the minister’s assurances, AIADMK leader Kovai Sathyan demanded Subramanian’s resignation, accusing the government of “complete mismanagement.”
“In front of my eyes, children were collapsing. There was no public address system to guide people, no water distribution booths, and no medical assistance on-site. Traffic was a nightmare,” Sathyan alleged.
A Day of Chaos
The IAF air show began at 11 a.m. and continued until 1 p.m., with many spectators standing in the scorching heat for hours. Some attendees, particularly the elderly, fainted before the show even started. Emergency workers rushed more than 200 people to nearby government hospitals with symptoms of dehydration and heat exhaustion.
A senior police official told news agency PTI that one person died at the beachfront and four others in the surrounding area. All five victims were among the thousands who had gathered along the several-kilometre-long shoreline to witness the air show, which aimed to set a record by attracting 16 lakh attendees.
As the event came to a close, chaos ensued. Poor coordination by traffic authorities left lakhs of people stranded across the city. Roads surrounding Marina Beach were gridlocked, making it difficult for people to leave the area. Several parts of Chennai experienced similar traffic snarls as the massive crowd struggled to disperse.