O2 Academy Brixton incident: Four people fighting for their lives after 3,000 fans rush gates at Asake concert

An incident at O2 Academy Brixton in London has left eight people injured with four left fighting for their lives in hospital. This came after thousands of fans tried to force themselves into an Asake concert on Thursday night.

Emergency services rushed to the music venue following reports of crowd trouble at 9.35pm. Revellers were locked outside in the chilly winter temperatures so rushed the gates to try and get inside, which led to the cancellation of the gig.

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that eight people are currently under medical supervision, including four left in critical condition. The authorities believe that injuries “have been caused by crushing.”

Footage of the O2 Academy Brixton incident flooded social media channels, showing a clash between fans and police as well as a large emergency service presence. Police have warned against showing “distressing” footage and explained that “where force has been used by police officers, those officers know they will have to be accountable for their actions.”

Lambeth Police tweeted shortly after the incident, posting: “Emergency services attended the O2 Academy in #Brixton following reports that a number of people had been injured after a large crowd attempted to gain entry without tickets. 4 people are in a critical condition at hospital. Officers will remain in the area to provide reassurance.”

Afropop star Asake was forced to announce the cancellation of the gig partway through which was met with an uproar of disgruntled attendees. He explained: “The reason we have to stop the show is because they have breached the doors. You’ve got 3,000 people who have broken the doors outside and because of security the police have asked us to close the show.”

Ade Adelekan, who is the Met Police Gold Commander, issued a statement which reads: “This is an extremely upsetting incident which has left four people critically ill in hospital. My thoughts and prayers are with them and their families.

“A police investigation has been launched, and it will be as thorough and as forensic as necessary to establish exactly what happened last night. The scene will be examined by specialist officers, CCTV will be viewed, every witness that we can make contact with will be spoken to and all other lines of enquiry will be followed.

The Commander continued: “Officers are remaining in the area to provide reassurance to the local community in and around Brixton. If you have any information or concerns, please speak with them.

“I am aware of videos 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.”