A woman has died after being injured in a crowd crush during a gig at O2 Academy Brixton last Thursday.

Metropolitan Police were called to the 4,921-capacity south London venue after a large number of people tried to force their way into a concert by afro-pop singer Asake. 

The incident saw four people left in critical condition, with eight people rushed to hospital. The concert was abandoned 10 minutes after Asake took to the stage.

The Met has announced that mother-of-two Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, from Newham, east London, died in hospital on Saturday morning (17 December).

The venue’s owner Academy Music Group said in a statement: “All at O2 Academy Brixton and Academy Music Group are deeply saddened by the news of the tragic death of Rebecca Ikumelo.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to Rebecca’s family and friends, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this devastating news at this extremely difficult time.”

The crowd surge is the latest in a series of crowd problems at events worldwide, with security experts reporting a distinct change in behaviour at events since the pandemic subsided.

United Kingdom Crowd Management Association chair Eric Stuart told Access that among the by-products of the lockdowns is that young people lack experience of how to behave in crowds.

“They haven’t had that familiarity with the pack and how to behave in that environment, so we’ve seen some real aggressive and extreme behaviours resulting from an apparent sense of intolerance and entitlement,” he said.

In a tweet, Asake said he was “overwhelmed with grief” at the news and has urged anyone with relevant information to reach out to the Met.