A 10-year-old girl’s scream over an insect sparked a wild stampede that landed 11 people in the hospital as chaos erupted after Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” tour stop in Atlanta.
Authorities said a wave of panic started at the Vine City MARTA station just after midnight as fans of the “Tyrant” singer began leaving the nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium following Queen Bey’s performance, according to 11 Alive.
Terrifying video from the scene showed people being led into ambulances on stretchers or in wheelchairs and led to local hospitals.
“There was someone that started to scream outside of the station, she was startled by a bug outside of the large crowd,” MARTA acting CEO Rhonda Allen said in a press conference this week, saying the scream kick-started a “chain reaction” spreading inside the station.
As panicked concertgoers began running down the escalator, it briefly sped up before coming to a screeching halt — causing people to fall on top of each other.
“They began to usher themselves down the escalator,” Allen said, adding that she told board members that the transit authority will do better during the next big event by adding staff and better managing of flow of passengers.
“We’re going to have a more aggressive approach to how we staff these events,” she added, saying tighter crowd control will be implemented.
“The escalator has been barricaded and escalator manufacturer Schindler and MARTA Safety will investigate,” MARTA told The Post in a statement.
Officials have not said what caused the escalator malfunction.
Beyoncé fan Amber Anderson said she was pinned under a man as the mob of at least 20 people fell on top of each other, according to Atlanta News First.
“I see that people are starting to run at the entrance, which of course when you see somebody running, you probably want to run too,” Anderson told the outlet.
“I told my friend on the ride back, I said, ‘We’re supposed to be talking about how amazing the concert was because it was absolutely amazing, but this is what we’re talking about,’” she added. “I’ve never been more fearful.”
The ordeal took place just hours after Beyoncé’s unreleased music was stolen from an SUV belonging to a member of the singer’s team in Atlanta.
Beyoncé’s choreographer, Christopher Grant, and dancer, Diandre Blue, told officers that two suitcases had been stolen from a Jeep Wagoneer that they were renting for the singer’s four-show stop at the city’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The two stolen suitcases reportedly contained never-before-heard music by Beyoncé, as well as plans for her ongoing Cowboy Carter tour and other “personal sensitive information.”
Clothing valued at over $1K, two laptops and a pair of AirPods were also reportedly taken.
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