Chennai air show deaths: BJP slams MK Stalin for incident, says it can not be passed off as an ‘accident’

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state chief K Annamalai has slammed the Tamil Nadu government for the deaths of at least five people during the Chennai air show on Oct 6, accusing Chief Minister MK Stalin of not making proper arrangements for thousands of people, who visited the Marina beach to watch the event organized by Indian Air Force (IAF).

Annamalai said the tragedy cannot be passed off as an “accident” and this shows the "complete failure of Chief Minister Stalin's administration. At least two hundred people were injured in the incident reportedly caused by overcrowding, heat stroke, and lack of other basic arrangements at the venue.

"I was shocked to hear that 5 people died due to crowding and over 200 people were injured and admitted to the hospital for treatment during the IAF 'AIR Show' program held at Chennai Marina Beach,” Annamalai said in a post on X on Oct 6.

“The only reason for this is that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government has not taken care of the public's safety without providing basic facilities and adequate transport arrangements for the public who witnessed the IAF Air show," he added.

Taking a dig at Stalin, Annamalai asked why the chief minister could not ensure proper arrangements for big events like this when he could ensure the same for events that promote himself.

"I strongly condemn Chief Minister Stalin and the DMK government for ruling only for his family and without any concern for the lives of the people. The incident has caused the death of five persons and the misery to so many families. The Chief Minister must be answerable to the public on this matter," he said.

Earlier, Opposition leader and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami also condemned the DMK over the incident.

"This pains me. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. My strong condemnation of the DMK government for failing to properly coordinate even such an important event. My strong condemnation to this MK Stalin government for failing to provide proper security for this event," Palaniswami said in a statement on Oct 6.

IAF's Air Show

The event was organized by the IAF to mark the upcoming IAF Day on October 8. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Deputy CM Udhyanidhi Stalin, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, and a large number of spectators gathered to witness the show.

Also, thousands of people tried reaching Marina Beach on time to witness the event scheduled between 11 am to 1 pm which caused huge traffic jams across the city and suburban trains.

While the exact cause of death has not been ascertained so far, reports suggested that the deaths were likely caused due to dehydration and exhaustion.

"At least 50 people were admitted to various hospitals after they complained of dehydration and exhaustion. Over 100 others were given first aid at hospitals across the city.” a government official was quoted as saying.