An air show to commemorate the Indian Air Force’s 92 anniversary at Chennai’s Marina Beach turned into a disaster on Sunday when five people died and nearly 100 were hospitalised. Soaring temperatures and a crowd of over 10 lakh people at the venue led to a stampede-like situation after the show,

The deceased were among the thousands who gathered along the several-kilometre-long shoreline to witness the event..Chennai Air Show Deaths. IAF Day Chennai Fatalities. Marina Beach Heatstroke Deaths.

Thousands of people stood in the scorching heat for nearly two to three hours to witness the event. Several among them were seen holding umbrellas to shield themselves.

At least five persons died and several others were hospitalised after an Indian Air Force air show at Chennai’s Marina Beach on Sunday, The Hindu reported. More than 15 lakh persons attended the show. Many attendees experienced dehydration and several fainted as temperatures reached 36 degree Celsius. The show was held between 11:30 am to 1 pm.

The exact cause of the deaths would be known only after the post-mortem, a source at the government-run Rajiv Gandhi Hospital in Chennai said

The death toll has climbed to five after spectators succumbed to exhaustion during the Indian Air Force’s airshow at Marina Beach, Chennai. The event, which attracted over 15 lakh people, saw overcrowding and heat-related issues,

The Indian Air Force's airshow will feature 72 aircraft originating from IAF bases in Sulur, Thanjavur, Tambaram, Arakkonam and Bengaluru, all converging over the East Coast.

The show, to celebrate the air force’s 92nd anniversary, was held at a beach on a day where maximum temperatures touched 35 degrees Celsius.