Last week, a crowd crush at London's O2 Academy Brixton sent several people to hospital with serious injuries — in the days since, two of those people have died. And now, the venue has had its license suspended until January 16, when a full hearing will take place.
As reported by The Guardian, the crush happened just before an Asake concert, when hordes of fans allegedly attempted to enter the venue at the same time through its front doors. A 23-year-old security guard named Gaby Hutchinson and 33-year-old mother of two named Rebecca Ikumelo died from their injuries after being caught in the venue's foyer by the surging crowd. A 21-year-old woman remains in critical condition.
Mahamed Hashi, Lambeth's cabinet member for safer communities, said in a statement: "A tragic incident has happened in our borough and we are dealing with its devastating impact on our communities. Our thoughts are with those who have suffered, especially the families and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson, who have tragically lost their lives."
Five shows have been cancelled at the venue due to the suspended license. On the night of the incident, afrobeat star Asake performed only ten minutes of his planned set before it was called off. "I am overwhelmed with grief and could never have imagined anything like this happening," he said in a statement.
The tragedy was initially blamed on hundreds of people who reportedly arrived without tickets. However, witness accounts have raised questions about security's behaviour and an allegedly heavy-handed police response to the crowd crush, which is currently under review by the Met's directorate of professional standards.
As reported by The Guardian, the crush happened just before an Asake concert, when hordes of fans allegedly attempted to enter the venue at the same time through its front doors. A 23-year-old security guard named Gaby Hutchinson and 33-year-old mother of two named Rebecca Ikumelo died from their injuries after being caught in the venue's foyer by the surging crowd. A 21-year-old woman remains in critical condition.
Mahamed Hashi, Lambeth's cabinet member for safer communities, said in a statement: "A tragic incident has happened in our borough and we are dealing with its devastating impact on our communities. Our thoughts are with those who have suffered, especially the families and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson, who have tragically lost their lives."
Five shows have been cancelled at the venue due to the suspended license. On the night of the incident, afrobeat star Asake performed only ten minutes of his planned set before it was called off. "I am overwhelmed with grief and could never have imagined anything like this happening," he said in a statement.
The tragedy was initially blamed on hundreds of people who reportedly arrived without tickets. However, witness accounts have raised questions about security's behaviour and an allegedly heavy-handed police response to the crowd crush, which is currently under review by the Met's directorate of professional standards.