December 16, (THEWILL) – A number of people have been reported injured during a crowd stampede at a concert by Nigerian singer, Asake, on Thursday night, at London’s O2 Academy Brixton.
Videos shared on social media show a chaotic scene with large crowds of people waiting outside the O2 Academy Brixton.
Police said they were called to the venue, which can hold just under 5,000 people, at 9.35pm local time, following reports that a large number of people were attempting to force entry to the venue.
“In total, eight people were taken by ambulance to hospital to treat injuries believed to have been caused by crushing. Four of those eight were treated for critical injuries and three remain in a critical condition.
“Two other less seriously injured people were treated at the scene by ambulance staff”, a Police statement said on Friday.
Met Police gold commander, Ade Adelekan, described the incident as ‘extremely distressing’ and urged any witnesses who are yet to speak with police to get in contact.
“I am aware of video being shared on social media. I would ask people to be sensible about what they share, and not to post material that will be upsetting to those affected by this incident.
“Where force has been used by police officers, those officers know they have to be accountable for their actions. The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards will view all material, including Body Worn Video footage from the officers at the scene.
“In relation to a clip being widely shared, I can confirm that no police dogs were deployed to the location”, Adelekan said.
He assured that investigation into the incident “will be as thorough and forensic as necessary to establish exactly what happened.”
In a statement posted Friday, on Instagram, Asake said, “My heart is with those who were injured last night and caused any form of discomfort.”
Asake said he was waiting for “the full brief from the venue management themselves as to what led to the disruption at the entrance of the Brixton Academy, but we are thankful that all was peaceful at the end.”
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