LONDON: Three people were listed in a serious condition in hospital after a mob broke out outside a south London event hosting a concert by Nigerian Afrobeats singer Esek on Friday, according to UK police.

The O2 Academy in Brixton received a call for assistance on Thursday night, according to the Metropolitan Police, which said "a large number of people were attempting to gain entry to the venue."

When police, ambulance and fire brigade responders arrived, they found several people suffering from crushing injuries.

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In an update to reporters outside the location, Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove said officers had given first aid and CPR to members of the public "to save lives".

Eight people received ambulance transport to hospital, while two "less seriously injured" received on-site care.
At lunch on Friday, only three of the four patients initially admitted to the hospital remained in critical condition.

Police said that the age of the three is 21 years, 23 years and 33 years, whose condition remains critical.

We are trying to piece together the sequence of events that led up to last night's incident, but it is still a fluid and developing picture, Wingrove said.

He said police surveyed the scene and an "immediate investigation" led by special crime detectives was being carried out, as cordons were outside the scene.

The "serious incident" occurred during the third and final sold-out performance by singer-songwriter Esek at the nearly century-old venue. The gig was called off in the middle of their performance.

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Videos shared on social media and seen on newspapers' websites showed the crowd pressing against the doors of 02 Academy as well as aggressive altercations in the lobby.

Videos showed angry spectators being told that police had ordered the show to end after more than 3,000 people attempted to break down the doors, some of which succeeded. It is not known who was involved in the fight.

But Wingrove accepted that the Met's Professional Standards Directorate, a police oversight body, was looking into the actions of an officer at the scene.

This comes after a video surfaced in which a police officer is seen pushing someone down the stairs outside the venue.
There is "no evidence of misconduct" by the police officer, according to police, who later said that the Directorate of Professional Standards had reviewed the situation.

According to police, a man attending the concert was taken into custody after assaulting an officer.

The Met issued a call for witnesses, noting that it was creating a website portal for thousands of visitors to upload testimonies and evidence.

"We are also aware of a significant amount of footage being shared on social media," Wingrove said. Of course, this will be looked at as part of the investigation, along with the body-worn video of the officers.

On Instagram, Asek said he was still waiting for venue management to give him full details of the cause of the disruption.

But we are grateful that everything ended peacefully," he continued, apologizing to the audience for cutting the concert short.
The artist said he was "in the process of reaching out" and that his heart was "with those who were injured last night and caused any inconvenience."

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A comment from O2 Academy was not immediately available.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was in close contact with the Met and that his thoughts were "with all those affected by the terrible incident".

I am devastated that this could happen to young Londoners outside the city, he continued. I will not stop until we have solutions for their loved ones and their neighborhoods."