Tamil Nadu Transport Minister SS Sivasankar joined the fray of DMK members deflecting responsibility over the Chennai air show fiasco. He blamed the Centre for the mismanagement despite the DMK-led state’s oversight responsibilities.
In a recent press conference, Sivasankar cited weather conditions and cooperation with the central government as reasons for the chaos that led to five deaths. He further questioned departments like railways and metro for the lack of arrangements, even though essential resources remain under state control.
Sivasankar attributed the issues to weather conditions, stating, “We could only cooperate with them and cannot dictate terms.”
He added, “The Air Force organized the event under the central government. It’s clear that all departments coordinated and held special meetings for this. The accusations are coming not from the Air Force but from political parties, and we can see what the truth is.”
Later questioning the lack of water facilities and amenities, Sivasankar said, “It is not possible for the government to provide drinking water to 15 lakh people gathered.” He also illogically questioned the central government’s departments, like the railways and metro, about their arrangements, even though the state controls the necessary resources.
Who Said What?
Before Sivasankar, Greater Chennai City Corporation Mayor R Priya defended the preparations and attributed the deaths to weather conditions. She said, “The deaths were due to heat and dehydration. We had arranged for water, ambulances, and barricades.”
Ma Subramanian
State Health Minister Ma Subramanian also defended that all five deaths were heat-related and assured that measures would be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. He said, “Five people died from heat exhaustion, and 102 others were affected by the soaring temperatures.”
RS Bharathi
Former Rajya Sabha MP and DMK leader RS Bharathi has run his mouth once again, making insensitive comments on the deaths in the aftermath of the IAF air show in Chennai on 6 October 2024.
Speaking to the press, the DMK leader said, “It is regrettable, but the arrangements had been done by the government, as stated by Ma Subramaniam. They also intimated the public to bring umbrellas and water bottles. Despite this, due to some people’s carelessness, things have happened. There is no report out yet. Depending on that, the government will take action. 15 lakh people assembled, it was sunny, and they died due to stroke. Those who were already sick should not have gone there.”
Syed Hafeez
Another DMK spokesperson Syed Hafeez kept justifying the deaths were not due to a stampede. Speaking to Times Now, he said, “The event was well organized. The government and the Corporation of Chennai with coordination from 4 other departments had done their best to avoid such a situation. See you have to understand, tehre was no stampede. If the state government had not organised this well, in such a manner. To completely blame the state government of mismanagement is not acceptable. See other news channels, people are praising the state government.”
Saravanan Annadurai
DMK member and advocate Saravanan Annadurai blamed the public for not taking adequate water bottles, caps, etc. He even questioned the health issues those who died may have had. It seemed to indicate that he was saying blaming the State government for poor arrangements is being done for political reasons.
He wrote, “Aviation adventure and politics of jealousy! Yesterday the Indian Air Force, the adventure shows at the Marina were not properly coordinated, the trains were not running, 5 people died, and the state government should be held responsible. I also went to see the adventure, we walked 3 km, saw, walked again and reached home.
Important questions.
1. When 10 lakh people will gather, can all the vehicles be allowed to the place of adventure?
2. Can get down early and walk the last 2 or 3 km on your own.
3. Yesterday the sun was 36 degrees, walking in that sun and standing in the top sun can see this adventure. It has to go by itself with minimum progress. Hat, water, umbrella.
4. Adequate number of ambulances were available and first aid treatments were available for those who fainted in the sun.
5. Everyone has a desire to see it in person. They must have come to the event feeling that this hot environment would allow their bodies to cooperate. At least for about 3 hours, you have to walk to stand in the sun.
6. The death of 5 people is very regrettable, taking into consideration their health condition.
7. Southern Railway should explain why they are not running enough trains.
8. Is there a structure that can accommodate more than 10 lakh people in a short period of time?
9. Our guards did an excellent job, from first aid treatment to traffic regulation.
10. Majority of the people of Chennai who came to the program, enjoyed the program and left with satisfaction. They had come to the program knowing what kind of facilities would be available in such programs and how much would the facility be. It was conducted by the Union Government itself, what is their role? Those who try to portray this as some kind of administrative failure have no intention other than political jealousy.”
He went on to state that there was no stampede, so everything was fine. He wrote, “Only an autopsy will tell us how 5 people were dead? Did they have any pre existing illness, which got exacerbated while standing in the hot sun for 3 to 4 hrs. There was no stampede.”
Kanimozhi
As if paying lip service, DMK MP Kanimozhi indirectly blamed the IAF for wanting to gather a large number of people. She wrote, “The news of the death of 5 people is very sad and painful when the public who witnessed the military flight adventure program held at the Marina beach in Chennai suffered from the crowd and the temperature was high. Unmanageable gatherings should also be avoided.”
Salem Dharanidharan
DMK spokie Salem Dharanidharan also blamed the IAF, stating they wanted to create a record and that the TN government did not organise the event. He said, “It is unfortunate that lives were lost and it should not happen. There have been many events, full-fledged events conducted in the state where more number of people have participated. There have been fantastic arrangements. Even our party conducted the Youth Wing conference which broke the record was fantastically arranged. The Air Force organizes this and it is not the Tamil Nadu government that wanted to create a record. People, out of their own willingness wanted to come and we made proper arrangements but I am not certain how these mishaps happened.”
The Event
On 6 October 2024, a record-breaking crowd at the air show on Chennai’s Marina Beach led to five deaths and over 100 hospitalizations, highlighting serious planning and management failures by the DMK, which was responsible for organizing the event at the request of the IAF.
The Indian Air Force’s air show received a tremendous response in social media, attracting a turnout that exceeded all expectations. Held on 6 October 2024, the event attracted around 1.3 million attendees, including many from neighboring districts. Unfortunately, the overwhelming crowd overwhelmed the city’s infrastructure, resulting in five fatalities and over 100 hospitalizations, as reported by officials.
In response, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin pledged to improve arrangements for future large-scale events. While authorities noted that effective planning prevented a potential stampede, they acknowledged that the lack of an exit strategy and the hurried departure of attendees led to chaos. Stalin admitted that although “stampedes were prevented, people faced difficulties in reaching their vehicles and accessing public transport.” He also announced compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives.
Stalin’s statement emphasized that the government had coordinated efforts involving police, fire and rescue services, the Greater Chennai Corporation, and the Health Department to manage the crowd effectively.
Inadequate Planning
Organizers and local officials identified two main factors contributing to the tragedy: the excitement generated on social media, which led to an unexpectedly large turnout, and poor planning regarding crowd dispersal.
This air show was the first of its kind in Chennai in over 20 years. While officials initially estimated around 1.1 million attendees, the actual number surged to between 1.2 and 1.3 million, arriving via trains, metros, buses, and private vehicles. The event, which ran from 11:30 AM to 1 PM, turned into a logistical nightmare as the entire crowd attempted to leave simultaneously.
Officials from the IAF and the state government revealed that crowd control measures were in place, but the massive turnout caught everyone off guard. A senior police officer reported that more than 40 ambulances and multiple medical teams were stationed for the event. “There was good communication among all agencies, but we failed to develop an effective dispersal plan,” the officer noted.
An IAF senior officer indicated that while barricades and crowd management strategies prevented a stampede, the sudden rush to leave exposed significant planning flaws. “Everyone, including us and the authorities, fell short regarding the exit strategy. There should have been prioritized pathways for children, women, and the elderly. The absence of such planning, combined with the public’s eagerness to leave, caused the issues,” he stated.
The city’s Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) did not increase service frequency despite the large crowd, leading to viral videos of long lines at the Velachery MRTS station.
The consequences were dire: five men lost their lives while trying to return home, and more than 100 were hospitalized due to heat exhaustion, dehydration, and other complications from the congestion. Many ambulances became stuck in traffic, and attendees reported waiting for over an hour in extreme heat.
A senior police officer noted that clearing a crowd of 40,000 at Chepauk Stadium after a cricket match typically takes an hour. He explained, “We had over 1.3 million people at Marina on Sunday. While the planning and barricades prevented a stampede, the absence of an exit strategy was our downfall.”
(With inputs from Indian Express)
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