Deaths not due to stampede, but...: TN min on air show

Five deaths that occurred after the Indian Air Force's air show on the Marina beach on Sunday were related to heat issues, and they were all brought dead to the government facilities, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Monday and appealed to the political parties and media not to politicise the issue.

Of the nearly 100 people admitted to the government hospitals close to Marina beach, 7 were undergoing treatment, and 93 people were treated as out-patients. Five persons were brought dead to the hospitals, Subramanian stated.

The condition of those undergoing treatment at the hospitals was stable, he said and added that there was no stampede while the spectators started leaving for home at the same time.

“We don't deny the deaths, which were all related to heat conditions as the people remained under the hot sun from 11 am till 1 pm. Let me make it clear, we made arrangements anticipating 15 lakh people for the IAF's 92nd Day celebrations and even provided more than what the IAF had sought,” the minister told reporters in Chennai.

The timing for the two-hours air show (from 11 am to 1 pm) was decided by the IAF based on weather conditions and the IAF had advised people to bring umbrellas, wear caps and cooling glasses and also bring water bottles with them, he said.

“The IAF had requested us to ready 100 beds, an ICU facility with 20 beds besides keeping a blood bank on alert to respond to any emergency. But we arranged 4,000 beds at five government medical college hospitals in the vicinity,” Subramanian said refuting the opposition parties' charge of inadequate arrangements.

Apart from drafting 1,000 doctors, paramedical staff and stationing 40 ambulances, steps were taken to provide basic amenities including drinking water in association with other government departments.

“The historic 92nd IAF Day celebration was successfully conducted on the Marina Beach to showcase India's air defence prowess to the world. A Rafale fighter plane air dashed to Marina Beach from Thanjavur in hardly 20 minutes to show our capability. Let's not politicise the occasion,” Subramanian appealed.

He however expressed regrets over the deaths terming them as “unfortunate.”