The organizers of Taylor Swift’s concert have spoken out after a 23-year-old woman fainted in the sweltering heat and passed away.
According to the Brazilian newspaper Fohla De Sao Paolo, Ana Clara Benevides, 23, went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to the Salgado Filho Municipal Hospital where she passed away.
Her death came as concertgoers complained about the extreme heat and humidity during the Friday show.
The concert organizers, T4F, have now spoken out after the young fan passed away.
In a statement posted on Instagram, they wrote: “It’s with great sadness that we inform you about the death of Ana Clara Benevides Machado aged 23.
“Yesterday night, Ana Clara felt unwell and was assisted by a team of emergency workers and paramedics, being taken to a medical center at Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium so the first aid protocol could be applied,” they continued.
“Given the situation, the medical team opted to transfer her to Salgado Filho Hospital. After nearly an hour of emergency assistance, she regrettably died.”
“We send our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Ana Clara Benevides,” they added.
But fans took to the comments section and slammed the company for allegedly prohibiting them from bringing water bottles inside the stadium.
One person commented: “One person lost his LIFE because of the irresponsibility of the organization. What measures are you going to take from now on so that it doesn’t happen again?”
It is believed that Swift was completely unaware of Benevides’ passing when she took to the stage. Throughout the show, she was seen pausing to give bottles of water to fans who were in need.
“We just need to get water to them,” the singer said. “Does anyone here have water?”
The Shake It Off hitmaker has two more shows in Rio de Janeiro but postponed the event. “I’m writing this from my dressing room in the stadium. The decision has been made to postpone tonight’s show due to the extreme temperatures in Rio,” she wrote on Instagram.
“The safety and wellbeing of my fans, fellow performers, and crew always has to come first.”
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