Nigerian Afrobeats singer Asake on Saturday, December 17, said he was “devastated” after police announced that a woman had died after being caught in a crush outside a London venue where he was performing.
The 33-year-old woman who died had been one of three people seriously injured in the incident on Thursday evening. Police named her as Rebecca Ikumelo from London.
“I am devastated by the news,” Asake said on Instagram, adding that he had spoken to her loved ones and would “continue to do so.” “I am overwhelmed with grief and could never have imagined anything like this happening,” he added. “My sincerest condolences to her loved ones at this time. Let us please keep her family in our prayers,” he wrote.
Emergency teams were called to the O2 Academy in south London following reports that “a large number of people were attempting to force entry to the venue,” the Metropolitan Police said earlier.
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Officers, ambulance crews, and fire brigade responders arrived to find numerous people with injuries caused by the crush. Eight people were taken to hospital by ambulance while two “less seriously injured” were treated at the scene.
Police said on Saturday two other women aged 21 and 23 remained in critical condition in hospital. Police are appealing for the around 4,000 people who were present at the scene to submit photos and videos of the scene to an online page.