Chennai IAF air show tragedy: Plan well, bereaved families tell government

CHENNAI: Three major government hospitals are within 4-km radius of the Marina beach, but the chaos on the ground after the air show was such that at least two persons who fainted due to suspected heat-stroke had to wait for two hours to be taken to a hospital.

Karthikeyan (34) from Tirvottiyur had asked his wife to wait with their two-year-old at an agreed spot near the beach and told her that he’d be back with the two-wheeler. Around two hours later, his wife received a call which brought her life crashing down.

“It was around 1.30 pm when he left me to wait at a spot. Even after an hour passed, I waited at the same spot and only after that, I started panicking and called him repeatedly. Around 3.30 pm, someone answered his phone and told me that he (Karthikeyan) was lying unconscious and had vomited and asked me to rush,” Karthikeyan’s wife told mediapersons. “I do not know whom to hold responsible. He was lying unconscious for two hours and there was no aid.”

The bereaved young mother said that the family came fully prepared with caps, water and said that he did not have any health complications previously. “There were not enough water facilities. More importantly, phones were not working and we could not use Gpay to buy water,” she added, and wondered if any authority would help her with CCTV footage of the area near Napier bridge where her husband fell unconscious.

Family of D John (56) claimed that the ambulance staff did not take him in the vehicle saying there was no pulse. It was two hours before he was taken to a hospital where the doctors declared him dead. John, a resident of Korukkupet, had gone to the show with his family of five. “Even as he was walking back after the show, he fainted. We could not move him to a hospital because of the crowd,” said a relative of John.

Another victim, Dinesh Kumar, also in his 30’s had fainted near Parthasarathy temple arch and was rushed to the Omandurar multi specialty hospital where he was declared as brought dead. “It was 20 minutes before an ambulance could reach the scene. He had no bad habits like smoking and drinking,” said Dinesh’s friend.

Some of the bereaved family members wanted the authorities to plan large gatherings better. “My brother was lying unattended for two hours. He is no more and he is not coming back. We do not want it to happen to anyone else in the future,” said Ramya, Karthikeyan’s sister.

Similar thoughts were echoed by John’s daughter-in-law who told mediapersons that the government should be careful in ensuring that such situations do not recur.