New Delhi, Oct 7 (EFE).- At least five people died and some 40 others were hospitalized in southern India due to extreme heat during an Indian Air Force show that attracted more than a million spectators, according to the government.
Tamil Nadu state Health Minister Ma Subramanian said at a press conference Monday that five people died during the event because of high temperatures, while refuting opposition’s accusations of government mismanagement of the large crowds.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) had widely publicized its aerial show, which took place on a beach in Chennai city on Sunday, with the aim of breaking the record for attendance at an event of this nature.
This caused a massive influx of 1.2 million spectators, according to local media reports, which reported that the casualties occurred at the end of the event, when a large number of attendees tried to leave the venue at the same time.
A senior police official said that in addition to the five deaths, 40 people were hospitalized, and ruled out “a stampede situation.”
The event ended at 1pm local time, when Chennai recorded a temperature close to 36 degrees Celsius.
Images of the event show a huge crowd of people on the beach, most of them using umbrellas or some head cloth for protection from the sun.
The opposition parties in Tamil Nadu blame the government for its mismanagement of the event, criticizing that it did not deploy the necessary measures to control huge gatherings.
Deaths attributed to heat are common in India, especially between the months of March and May, when temperatures reach over 50 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country. EFE
hbc/sc