A young woman lost her life on Sunday, according to independent reports, during a human stampede that occurred at the Salón Rosado Benny Moré de La Tropical in Havana, while a mass concert was taking place at the venue. Several people were reportedly injured, although an official number of casualties and the health status of each individual has not been confirmed.
According to information gathered by the independent platform NiO Reporting a Crime, which shared images of the incident and identified the victim as B.A., the young woman reportedly fell amidst the chaos and was trampled by numerous people during the crowd's movement.
A person close to her family confirmed her identity to that platform, which also noted that the young woman allegedly lived in the Pogolotti neighborhood, a detail that has not been independently verified.
Images of the moment of the avalanche are circulating on social media, showing the large concentration of people and the uncontrolled movement of the crowd. In other videos that are also circulating, police officers are seen trying to revive the woman through cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) maneuvers.
Audio recordings from witnesses present at the scene reveal the panic experienced inside the venue.
The Rosado Room at La Tropical, belonging to Artex S.A., is one of the main venues for live popular music in Havana. Various sources estimate its capacity to be around 3,000 to 3,500 people, although it is unknown what the authorized capacity was for the concert on Sunday. The space, reopened in 2019 after a restoration, regularly hosts concerts of timba, salsa, and Cuban popular music, and frequently holds large events.
So far, there has been no public statement from MININT, MINSAP, Artex, or any other Cuban entity or authority regarding what happened, leaving the exact circumstances that triggered the tragedy unclear.
"It must be determined how many people were inside the premises, what its authorized capacity was, whether there were sufficient evacuation routes and protocols, and especially, if there were any failures or omissions that contributed to this tragedy," NiO Reportando Un Crimen demanded, which also made a public call to those who were present. "It is not appropriate to anticipate responsibilities before an investigation," the platform stated, urging that the young woman's death not go unanswered.
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