Following a crush during a concert at the Brixton O2 Academy in south London, four people are in critical condition.
On Thursday at 21:35 GMT, as the afro-pop artist Asake was performing, the police were called. The gathering was interrupted midway through and four other people were transported to the hospital.
Social media video reveals a sizable crowd amassing outside the venue.
One observer calculated that around 1,000 people showed up to the concert without tickets.
The Nigerian musician, commonly known as Mr Money, performed at the Academy for the third of three sold-out performances. Before the show, Asake had tweeted on Twitter requesting that fans not attempt to enter without tickets.
Image caption, The concert was abandoned part-way through
One of the injured people, who was taken to St Thomas’ Hospital with suspected internal bleeding, spoke to the BBC after being discharged.
“I was trying to get up, people were stepping on my head, all over me. I had more than 10 people on top of me.”
‘I was so scared’
She described the fear she felt as she lay on the ground, saying: “I couldn’t breathe and I completely passed out. I thought I was dead.
“I took my last breath and I could not get any more oxygen. I was so scared.
“A man pulled me out so when I woke up I was in the back of the ambulance. I’m just so grateful.”
In footage on social media, the crowd can be seen stretching from the road outside to the venue’s doors, with people screaming, shouting and struggling.
So the police have locked off Asake and have left a bunch of people in an alley in the freezing cold. It is well. pic.twitter.com/NSuu2MudHK
— Midé (@__93_Mide) December 15, 2022
John, 32, who lives next to the O2, said: “I saw everyone at the front door of Brixton Academy, [then] everything just stopped.
“It looked like the gig had been cancelled, and then some commotion, some pushing and shoving, and the police came shortly after. That’s when it kicked off and became aggressive.
“People at the front of the Brixton Academy were really pushing and shoving and trying to break through the door and force their way in,” he added. “The glass of the doors was broken.”
Journalist and author Jason Okundaye, who was also outside the venue at the time, said “there was absolutely zero communication” from Academy staff.
He added that he went home after observing the dangerous conditions, saying: “Outside the venue was so unsafe, still slippery conditions because of the earlier snowstorm, freezing cold, a confused crowd and aggressive police dogs making the risk of a huge crush likely.”
Scattered railings
The O2 Academy Brixton has a standing capacity of nearly 5,000 people, according to its website.
The venue is opposite Brixton police station, partly explaining the swift response on Thursday night. There are plenty of officers at the scene and you can see broken glass on the floor by the door to the venue.
Underneath a “sold out” sign, the metal railings scattered across the pavement bear testament to what were chaotic scenes.
Cdr Ade Adelekan from the Metropolitan Police said the scene would be examined by specialist officers as part of an investigation which will be “as thorough and as forensic as necessary”.
He said: “This is an extremely upsetting incident which has left four people critically ill in hospital. My thoughts and prayers are with them and their families.”
The Met’s directorate of professional standards will view all material, including body-worn video footage from the officers at the scene, Scotland Yard said.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted to say he was “heartbroken”.
Mr Khan added: “My thoughts are with all those affected by the awful incident at Brixton Academy.”
Serious crushes at British gigs are very rare.
In 1974, a 14-year-old David Cassidy fan died at the pop singer’s concert at the White City Stadium in London, with another 700 people injured.
At the Monsters of Rock festival in 1988, two people lost their lives in a crowd surge when Guns ‘N Roses played at a muddy Castle Donington in Leicestershire.
Earlier this year, the Liverpool M&S Bank Arena – where next year’s Eurovision Song Contest will be held – launched an investigation after fans complained of overcrowding at a concert by local hero Jamie Webster, although no injuries were reported.
It has become common for artists to pause their shows if they suspect there may be a problem in the crowd, with heightened awareness of such dangers in the wake of the tragedy at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival, in Texas in November 2021, in which 10 people died.
‘Breakout star’
Asake, whose real name is Ahmed Ololade, was nominated for BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2023 award.
He had been described on the venue’s website as “one of the hottest breakout stars from Nigeria” and is touring his debut album, Mr. Money With The Vibe.
Born and raised in Lagos State, his songs are part of the Nigerian street-pop subgenre that blends Afrobeats with Amapiano, pop melodies and street-smart rap lyrics.
He had a breakout hit in 2020 with his single Lady.
Source: BBC