Afrobeats star Ahmed Ololade, popularly known as Asake, has expressed grief following reports that a woman died in a stampede outside the venue of his concert in Nairobi, Kenya.
The incident reportedly occurred on December 20 at the Nyayo National Stadium, where Asake performed.
According to the BBC on Monday, Kenya’s National Police Service confirmed that a 20-year-old woman, identified as Karen Lojore, was crushed to death near one of the stadium’s entry points.
The BBC quoted a police spokesperson as saying that a brief stampede broke out at the entrance to the stadium during the concert.
“During a musical concert at Nyayo National Stadium, there was a brief stampede at the entrance gate.
“While the situation later calmed down and fans were able to access the stadium with the concert progressing, an unfortunate case of a 20-year-old woman who was pressed to death near the entry point was recorded.”
Reacting to the development, Asake described the incident as devastating in a message shared via his Instagram Story on Monday.
He wrote, “I am devastated by the tragic incident that took place at the festival on Dec 20th in Nairobi.
“My heart goes out to the family, friends, and loved ones of Karen Lojore, and I pledge to support and do my best to understand what happened. Those responsible should be held accountable.
“Music has always been my way of sharing love and joy, and it breaks my heart that anyone had to experience such loss. My thoughts are with everyone grieving, and I pray that Karen rests in peace. God Bless Kenya.”
The concert, held at the 18,000-capacity Nyayo National Stadium, was co-headlined by British-Nigerian singer Gabzy and was part of Asake’s Africa tour announced earlier this year.
This is not the first time the singer has been linked to a deadly crowd surge. In December 2022, two people died following a crowd crush at his concert at the Brixton Academy in London, an incident over which he had previously expressed grief and sympathy to the victims’ families.’
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