Brixton Academy: At least one still critical after Asake concert crushon December 16, 2022 at 6:16 pm

Three people remain in a critical condition after being injured in a crush at a gig at the Brixton O2 Academy that left several hurt.

Police were called on Thursday night to the show at the south London venue by Afro-pop singer Asake which was abandoned part-way through.

Witnesses reported seeing ticketless fans trying to force their way inside.

One of the crush victims said: “I couldn’t breathe and I completely passed out. I thought I was dead.”

The woman, who was taken to hospital with suspected internal bleeding, said: “I took my last breath and I could not get any more oxygen. I was so scared.”

The Met Police said more than 4,000 people were in attendance at the venue. 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.

In a statement outside Brixton police station on Friday afternoon, Cdr Colin Wingrove said officers were called to the scene by Academy staff at about 21:30 GMT, “following reports that a large number of people were attempting to force entry to the venue”.

He added: “Some officers provided first aid and CPR to members of the public in order to save life.”

One person has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, and Cdr Wingrove said that an incident in which an officer was “apparently seen to push a member of the public” was under review by the force’s directorate of professional standards.

It is also to review footage from cameras worn by officers at the scene.

Earlier, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted to say he was “heartbroken”, adding: “My thoughts are with all those affected by the awful incident at Brixton Academy.”

The concert was the third of three sold-out shows at the venue by Nigerian singer Asake, sometimes known as Mr Money. Before the gig, he had posted on Twitter asking fans not to try to gain entry unless they had tickets.

In a statement on his Instagram account, Asake said: “My heart is with those who were injured last night and caused any form of discomfort. I pray you get well soonest.”

The woman who passed out at the venue spoke to press agency UKNIP after being discharged from hospital. She said: “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.

“A man pulled me out so when I woke up I was in the back of the ambulance.”

The woman, from Battersea in south London, suffered skinned knees and a black eye. “I’m just grateful that I’ve come away with no broken bones; they thought I had internal bleeding but thank God they did a CT scan and I’m good.”

Akin Oluwaleimu, 53, from Kirby Cross near Colchester, went to the gig with his daughter Elsie, 14, but decided to return home after things turned “rowdy” outside with “a lot of pushing”.

“We didn’t get inside. When we were leaving we were told the show had been stopped.

“Two ladies fainted and were carried up high away… I was not worried about myself but I was worried about my daughter’s safety.”

Another witness, Jay Taylor, 24, from Greenwich in south-east London, described how a minority of apparently ticketless fans tried to force their way into the venue.

She said: “People were literally jumping on each other and even on to the police.”

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 west 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.

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.

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