Chennai: The Indian Air Force's (IAF) air show at Chennai’s Marina Beach, meant to be a grand celebration, ended in heartbreak as four people, including an elderly man, died due to the overwhelming crowds. A doctor in the hospital has confirmed that the cause of the death was heat stroke.
"The deceased have been identified as John (56), Karthikeyan, Srinivasan and Dinesh Kumar. "They had come to witness the air show where overwhelming crowds caused suffocation amid heat left them fainted and later died while being treated at the hospital", said an attendant at the government hospital in Chennai.
More than 15 lakh people had gathered to witness the air show, causing crowd surges on roads and putting a strain on transportation. Many were forced to walk for miles to reach metro and railway stations. Ambulances struggled to navigate through the packed streets to provide timely help. Emergency services were unable to meet the demands of the crowd, despite efforts by the Chennai police.
While the air display brought moments of pride and excitement, the incident turned a celebratory event into a tragedy.
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