Blistering heat, huge crowds, and a fatality

The political theme of the conference was clear—to sing MGR's praises, take on ideological enemy BJP and political rival DMK, and set the electoral path for TVK. But by the time Vijay, walked on to the 700m-long ramp at the party's second state-level conference, many in the crowd were wilting under the sun. Held at Parapathi, Madurai, the meet drew lakhs from across TN and Kerala. But poor crowd management and intense heat turned the day into an ordeal.Seven entry-exit gates, more than 250 doctors and as many nurses, and 20 medical camps, were in place and water-spraying drones were flown over the venue between 1pm and 3pm. Cartons of water bottles were supplied to people, but they were not enough. Food was unavailable inside, and the long walk back, more than 30 minutes once outside, discouraged people from stepping out to eat. Ambulances kept leaving every 10 minutes, ferrying dehydrated and unconscious supporters to hospitals. An estimated 100 people collapsed due to heat. Prabhakaran, 30, of Guduvanchery, an attendee, fainted near the venue. Though he was taken to govt Rajaji Hospital in Madurai city, he was declared brought dead. Ten more people were admitted as in-patients and four were being treated for traumatic injuries. The Madurai–Tuticorin highway was choked for nearly 5km, with vans parked on both sides. Temporary toll exemptions helped ease vehicular entry to an extent. But all this did not dampen the frenzy of fans, which reached a peak when their hero walked in around 3.45pm.