Police in Brazil have launched a probe into Time For Fun, the company which organised Taylor Swift’s concerts in Rio De Janeiro, after the death of a young fan who attended the Eras tour and her father’s scrutiny of the venue.
The company was responsible for the November 17 show where 23-year-old psychology student Ana Clara Benevides Machado fainted and experienced cardiorespiratory arrest before she was rushed to hospital, where she later died. Her cause of death has not been confirmed, however it is reportedly believed to be linked to the extreme temperatures the city was experiencing that weekend.
The Civil Police Department of Rio De Janeiro are investigating whether “the crime of endangering the life and health” of concertgoers took place, according to a statement obtained by NBC News. However, the department said the investigation is not related to Ana Clara’s death.
“Event organisers will be called to testify, and other steps are underway to investigate the facts,” the statement said, per NBC News.
The investigation follows complaints from concertgoers that they were left dehydrated and unattended at Estadio Nilton Santos stadium in the middle of a sweltering heat wave, where temperatures reached a record-breaking 37 degrees outside.
Because of the humidity, temperatures inside of the stadium reportedly reached a scorching 59 degrees.
Ana Clara’s father Weiny Machado has launched his own appeal for information about the conditions his daughter experienced, after fans claimed they were prohibited from bringing water into Estadio Nilton Santos stadium due to its venue rules.
“I want it to be determined whether they were in fact prohibited from bringing water, whether there was negligence in providing assistance,” Machado said to local newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, in an interview that has been translated from Portuguese to English.
“I know that the singer was handing out water to her fans, and that is absurd for an event of this size. Nothing will bring my daughter back, but I hope that, if negligence is confirmed, someone will be punished, so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Brazilian lawmakers are trying to change laws so that it would be a legal requirement for water to be distributed at shows, in a push to make concerts safer.
“Water is a main resource for human survival, and it is essential when taking into account the current climate crisis we are experiencing, which has led to an increase in temperature across the country,” the bill reads.
While Time For Fun has not commented on the inquiry or confirmed reports that water bottles were prohibited from the venue, the company did state that “the ban on bottled water entering stadiums is a requirement made by public bodies”.
However, it has since announced that it will provide punters water while they wait in queues, and patrons will be allowed to bring bottles of water into the venue if they are sealed.
Image: Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images, Instagram
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