6 months ago
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The home-bound revellers dispersing aft the boisterious New Year celebrations connected the Promenade Beach and the temple-headed spiritual folks wishing for an auspicious commencement to the year, virtually crossed paths successful the wee hours arsenic the metropolis welcomed 2026 with an admixture of chaotic amusive and spiritual fervour.
Public celebrations were chiefly confined to the Beach Promenade area. Youth who thronged the formation danced distant to music, hugged each different and immoderate adjacent distributed sweets astatine the changeable of midnight adjacent arsenic fireworks lit up the skyline implicit the city.
Private events successful resorts and hotels were good attended though immoderate hoteliers reported little occupancy compared to erstwhile years.
“The celebrations went disconnected peacefully without reports of immoderate large incident. The assemblage astatine Beach Promenade was good nether control,” said a constabulary officer.
Two killed successful accidents
Tragedy struck erstwhile 2 radical died successful abstracted roadworthy accidents connected Wednesday night. While Vignesh, 28, an IT employee, was killed aft his two-wheeler collided with different motorbike, Satheesh, 38, was killed aft helium had a fatal autumn erstwhile his two-wheeler skidded disconnected the road.
Police said some the accidents were reported connected Cuddalore Road and the incidents were not related to New Year celebrations.
Hardly had the nighttime quietened aft the celebratory hooplah erstwhile the streets began to capable up with devotees who thronged temples, particularly salient ones similar the Manakula Vinayakar temple. The travel of devotees continued into the night.
This year, the police, which had deployed a astir 2000-strong unit for instrumentality and bid and postulation duty, had besides made arrangements for parking of vehicles astatine designated slots. Shuttle buses were pressed successful to transport visitors to the municipality centre.
With immense crowds, mostly from different States, converging for the year-end celebrations since Wednesday forenoon, the constabulary had imposed a acceptable of information and postulation arrangements for a hassle-free acquisition for visitors.
The introduction of vehicles to the French Quarter was prohibited with barricades enactment up crossed assorted introduction points. The full portion adjoining the Beach, which is the hub of New Year eve celebrations, was converted into a no-vehicle, pedestrian-only precinct from 2 p.m. connected Wednesday till 9 a.m. connected Thursday.
The Beach Promenade, the main venue for nationalist gathering to observe the New Year, was brought nether surveillance utilizing CCTVs and drones. The country was carved up into zones to restrict the measurement of visitors moving from 1 extremity of the Beach Promenade to the other. The constabulary had besides deployed a specialised anti-eve teasing unit, the Veeramangai patrol team, to forestall harassment of women tourists.
