The London Metropolitan police said Monday a second woman has died after being injured in a crush outside a concert by Afrobeats singer Asake at the O2 Academy Brixton London. Gabrielle Hutchinson, 23, was working in security at the event in south London on Thursday. She died in hospital earlier Monday. A third woman, aged 21, is still in hospital in a critical condition, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove, in charge of the investigation, called the second death “devastating news” and sent his condolences to the woman’s family. Scotland Yard detectives have been scouring security camera and mobile phone footage to establish what caused the crush and to see if any crime was committed. But they said it had been established that all three women were in the foyer of the building when the incident occurred. Cordons outside the venue have now been lifted but remain in place inside. Police were called to the O2 Academy just after 9:00 pm (2100 GMT) on Thursday after reports of a large crowd outside.
A further call was made about 30 minutes later reporting that people were attempting to get inside. The force said it had referred the incident to the police watchdog, in line with standard procedure when officers have attended and lives have been lost or people seriously injured. After the first death was announced, Asake said he was “devastated” and “overwhelmed with grief”. Thursday’s gig was the third of three sold-out performances at the venue. The concert was cancelled midway through his performance. AFP
