Four people were in critical condition after suffering injuries believed to have been caused by a crush during a packed concert in London at one of Britain’s leading music venues, the capital’s police force said on Friday.
A large crowd attempted to force its way into the concert, a sold-out performance on Thursday evening by Asake, a Nigerian Afrobeats singer and songwriter, at the venue, the O2 Academy Brixton, prompting the emergency services to respond, the police said in a statement.
Ade Adelekan, a commander for the Metropolitan Police, the force that serves London, said that the authorities had opened an investigation and that it would be “as thorough and as forensic as necessary.”
A total of eight people were taken to the hospital, including the four in critical condition. It was unclear on Friday whether the injuries had occurred inside or outside the venue, which has a capacity of nearly 5,000, according to its website.
The episode led to the abandonment of the concert, the last of three sold-out shows at the venue by the 27-year-old Asake, whose much-anticipated debut album this year charted in both Britain and the United States.
“My heart is with those who were injured last night,” Asake said in a statement posted on Instagram, noting that he had not heard from the O2 Academy Brixton about what had caused the disruption. He said he was sorry that the concert had been cut short. “I pray you get well soonest,” he added.
The O2 Academy Brixton did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday.
The police station in Brixton, South London, lies only around 100 yards from the venue, and a cordon was in place early Friday morning, with the normally bustling road alongside closed to traffic.
Above the building’s entrance, a “sold out” sign was still visible, and garbage lay strewn across the street outside.
London is home to a large African community, and the Afrobeats genre has grown increasingly popular in the capital in recent years, with artists frequently selling out packed shows.
