Woman dies after crowd crush at Brixton O2 Academy gig
ITV News update on the incident at the O2 Brixton Academy
A woman has died after a crowd crush at the O2 Brixton Academy in South London, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed.
Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, was one of three people critically injured after fans attempted to gain entry without tickets to a show by Nigerian artist Asake on Thursday.
Police say Ms Ikumelo, from Newham, east London, died in hospital on Saturday, while two other women, aged 21 and 23, remain in a critical condition.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "I am heartbroken by the tragic death of Rebecca Ikumelo who has very sadly died following the awful events on Thursday night in Brixton.
"Rebecca had her whole life ahead of her and on behalf of all Londoners, I would like to extend my condolences to her family, friends and loved ones at this extremely difficult time.
"My thoughts remain with everyone affected by this dreadful incident. It’s vital that the investigation into what happened concludes as soon as possible.
"City Hall are in contact with venues and authorities across London to ensure nothing like this happens again."
Speaking at the scene on Friday, Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove, policing commander for Lambeth and Southwark, said: "I’d like to extend my sympathies to all those who have been affected.
"Having seen some of the really upsetting images on social media our thoughts are with them."
An investigation is currently underway and cordons remain in place as officers continue to work at the scene.
"This is still a fast moving and evolving picture and we are working to establish the events that led up to the incident," Chief Superintendent Wingrove added.
Police are appealing for anyone who captured footage on the night, or who has any information that might help them to call 101 quoting reference 6725 of 15 December.
The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct under standard practice following incidents where police had been in attendance and members of the public had been seriously injured, the Met said.
The force also said that video footage on social media showing an officer pushing a woman from the steps had been assessed by the Directorate of Professional Standards and that there was “no evidence of misconduct”.
Florence Eshalomi, Labour MP for Vauxhall, said in a statement posted on Twitter: "We need answers about exactly how this happened and safeguards against it in future.
"This will be fully investigated by Specialist Crime detectives, supported by Lambeth Council’s Licensing Unit."
She added: "This is a deeply concerning incident and has turned an experience which should have been a celebration into a very sad day."
Asake, whose real name is Ahmed Ololade, was recently nominated for BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2023 award, for artists breaking through in the UK.
He said in a statement on Instagram: "My heart is with those who were injured last night and caused any form of discomfort. I pray you get well soonest.
"I am also in the process of reaching out to individuals.
"I still do not have 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.
"For my people who enjoyed the beginning of my performance, I am sorry that it was cut short.
"Thank you for your unbelievable love, London. I love you too much! I’m looking forward to seeing you again in a bit!"
Ahead of the gig, he had posted on Twitter asking fans not to come to the venue unless they had a valid ticket.
The concert was the third of three sold-out dates at the 4,921-standing capacity venue and concluded a run of UK dates.