Scorching heat

Several dead at air show in scorching heat

(Bild: AFP)

At least five people have died of "heat stroke and exhaustion" at an air show in India. Hundreds of thousands (see video above) had gathered in the city of Chennai.

As Indian media reported on Monday, hundreds of thousands of people had gathered on a beach in Chennai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Sunday in temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius to watch a demonstration by the Indian Air Force. 

According to the PTI news agency, which cited government officials, five people died of "heat stroke and exhaustion". Heat stroke is an overheating of the body to over 40 degrees Celsius, which cannot be adequately compensated by sweating.

(Bild: AFP)

The "Indian Express" reported, citing the police, that the deaths were due to "dehydration and stress".

Crowd "overwhelming"
An eyewitness told the newspaper that the huge crowd was "overwhelming". The streets around the event site were overcrowded and the trains were heavily overloaded. The organizers had wanted to set a record number of spectators.

The broadcaster NDTV reported that the air force had "aggressively" promoted the event in order to be included in India's Limca record book. Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that the authorities had taken "adequate" precautions for the major event. Not only had rescue workers been on site, but drinking water had also been provided for the spectators.

Over 50 degrees Celsius in summer
Heatwaves are not uncommon in India, but according to scientific findings, they are becoming longer, more frequent and more intense as a result of climate change. It was only in early summer that the country suffered for weeks under an extreme heatwave with temperatures of over 50 degrees Celsius.