Only half the recommended number of 10 medical staff were on duty at the O2 Brixton Academy on night of fatal crush that left two dead, according to whistleblowers
- Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died after gig
- Five medical staff were on duty at the O2 Brixton on the night of Asake concert
Just half the recommended number of medical staff were on duty at the O2 Brixton Academy on the night of the Asake gig crush which killed two concert-goers, whistleblowers have claimed.
At least 10 medically trained professionals, including a paramedic and nurse, should have been present to provide medical cover, according to industry standards.
Two people died when fans without tickets tried to enter a sold-out show by Afrobeats singer Asake at the south-west London gig venue on December 15.
Mother-of-two Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died in hospital from their injuries following the deadly crush.
A third woman was also critically injured. She remains in hospital in a serious, but stable, condition.
The O2 Academy Brixton has had its licence suspended for three months after a crowd crush killed two people
Security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, (left) and nursing graduate Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, (right) were fatally hurt when fans without tickets tried to enter a show by Nigerian artist Asake at the south London site on December 15
No paramedics or nurses were present on the night, it has been revealed.
Collingwood Services Ltd, told BBC Radio 4’s File on 4 programme that it was ‘fully confident’ its team had ‘responded speedily, efficiently and with best practice’.
READ MORE: Some Brixton Academy security guards ‘regularly took cash bribes to let hundreds of revellers in without tickets,’ whistleblower claims
But two whistleblowers who regularly worked with Collingwood Services Ltd claimed that medical cover on the night had been ‘inadequate’.
They said that only five medical staff were working on the night, which is half the industry recommended standard expected for a sold-out concert of that size.
No medical staff were present who held a paramedic qualification, while two student paramedics were present at the gig, the whistleblowers said.
‘They didn’t have appropriate supervision,’ one of the insiders, who was not present at the gig but had spoken to colleagues who were, told the broadcaster.
The company said that five trained medical staff provided by Collingwood Services were in attendance on site on December 15, 2022, from 6.00pm until 02.30am.
These comprised of two first responders and three emergency medical technicians (EMT).
Two of the EMT staff were third-year student paramedics, qualified and working at EMTB level.
A further team of three trained medical staff arrived by 11.00pm and were in attendance until 02.30am.
The venue, the O2 Academy in Brixton, south-west London, has a capacity of 5,000 people.
For a sold-out concert such as the one on the night of the Asake gig, industry guidelines say there should have been at least 10 medical staff on duty.
Last month, the venue had its licence suspended for three months while the investigation into the fatal crowd crush continued.
Mother-of-two and nursing graduate Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, from Newman, East London, died in hospital as a result of her injuries two days after the fatal crush
Gaby Hutchinson, right, died following the crush at the O2 Brixton Academy on December 15
Two people were fatally injured and a third person remains in hospital after a crush at the O2 Brixton Academy on December 15
During a meeting of Lambeth council’s licensing sub-committee, it was heard that ‘by 9pm a large crowd of about 1,000 people had formed outside the entrance to the premises, to all intents giving the appearance of entering the building.
READ MORE: Mother-of-two who died in Brixton Academy crush was an autism campaigner who offered parenting tips on TikTok
Rebecca Ikumelo (pictured), 33, from Newham, east London, died in hospital after being critically injured in the crush which unfolded during Asake’s concert
Gerald Gouriet KC, representing the force, said: ‘It started at 8pm, so I understand by 9pm a large crowd of about 1,000 people had formed outside the entrance to the premises, to all intents giving the appearance of entering the building,’ he said.
‘Staff at the venue closed the entrance doors and called the police for support. And we have a timing for that call, it’s 9.04pm. The police arrived at 9.16pm.
‘When they arrived, they found large-scale disorder, the crowd pushing against the doors, trying to force them open, which they eventually did.
‘And when the doors were breached, the crowd poured into the lobby towards the auditorium.
‘A number of them fell to the floor. Several – we don’t yet know the total number and that will be found out as the inquiry proceeds – were injured as the crowd surged on and over those who had fallen.’
Four people were taken to hospital, Mr Gouriet said.
‘Tragically, as we know, two of them died as a result of their injuries,’ he said.
‘A third remains critically ill and the fourth has been, thankfully, discharged.’
Stephen Walsh KC, representing the O2 Academy’s owner, Academy Music Group (AMG), said his client agreed to the suspension terms as set out by the police.
‘The O2 Academy Brixton recognises the gravity of the events which occurred on the night of December 15 2022 and expresses its sincere condolences to the families of those who died during that tragic incident and its genuine concerns for anyone affected by it,’ he told the meeting on January 16.
The crush left a number of people with serious injuries, with many being treated at the scene by staff, police officers and paramedics.
Nigerian star Asake’s (pictured) concert descended into chaos after fans were filmed clashing with police outside Brixton’s O2 Academy on December 15
Hutchinson’s partner, Phoebie Turley, 25, has also demanded that the people involved in the crush be held responsible.
‘Things like this should never have happened,’ Turley said last month. ‘Every action has a reaction, and this consequence has come out of people turning up with no tickets or turning up trying to kick through a door.
READ MORE: Partner pays tribute to second Brixton O2 victim
‘For what? What purpose did that serve? Because now you have killed innocent people.’
The couple, both from Gravesend in Kent, had been dating for more than three years after meeting through mutual friends.
Turley paid tribute to her partner saying they were the nicest person she had ever known.
‘They were just a good person,’ she wrote. ‘Gaby literally would have done anything for anyone at the drop of a hat.
‘They weren’t bothered who you were, Gaby would have given you the shirt off their back if someone else needed it.
‘And they were like that our entire relationship. They did everything for me from the minute we met.
‘They did not deserve this. Justice needs to be served and someone needs to be found accountable for what happened.
‘Not just for Gaby, but just for Rebecca as well.’
Following her death, tributes also flooded in for Rebecca, with friends describing the single mother and autism campaigner as a ‘beautiful woman who radiated positive energy and was dedicated to being the best version of herself for her kids’.
In a statement, Ms Ikumelo’s family said: ‘Rebecca was a graduate of nursing. She was an adorable mother of two children who loved working with kids.
‘She was well respected in the family for her care, kindness and love. Her parents call her Tosin (short for Oluwatosin) meaning “Lord is Worthy”.’
A spokesperson for Collingwood Services Ltd said it remained ‘profoundly shocked and saddened by the events’ on December 15 and expressed their ‘deepest condolences’ to the families of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchison.
They added: ‘We are in full support of the investigation into the causes of the events of 15th December and welcome any outcomes of the ensuing report which would stop similar tragedies happening in the future.
‘We have conducted our own internal investigation and are fully confident that our team responded speedily, efficiently and with best practice.
‘We believe strongly that the swift action and skill of medical staff, emergency services and others who assisted on the night were instrumental in avoiding further serious injuries or loss of life.’
MailOnline has contacted Academy Music Group for further comment.
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