23-year-old Aanchal Arora, a student of Apparel Institute living in Pitampura, had gone to Gurgaon’s Sector 29 on Sunday (11th October) evening to watch American electronic music star Skrillex (real name Sonny Moore) perform live.
During the concert, however, the Delhi resident collapsed while dancing and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital in an ambulance provided by the organisers.
https://instagram.com/p/5qog6ZyaGP/
Despite her friends’ best efforts to give her first-aid, Arora never regained consciousness and was pronounced “dead on arrival” at the private hospital she was taken to, say reports.
According to a report by The Tribune, the post-mortem report said she suffered a cardiac arrest due to suffocation. One of her friends who accompanied her is reportedly still critical.
The show at Gurgaon was the last of Grammy-winning electronic artiste Skrillex’s first-ever India tour, following successful shows at Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.
https://instagram.com/p/8nXvnYyaLV/?taken-by=skrillex
According to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (DLF) Ramesh Pal, Arora’s death may have been the direct result of overcrowding at the venue.
He was quoted as saying:
While seeking an NOC for the event, the organisers had said they expected a crowd of about 5,000 But, nearly 10,000 people turned up for the concert. The venue was congested.
This figure is disputed as The Tribune report quoted unnamed highly-placed officials claiming that permission was sought for 6,000 people and 15,000 people showed up.
Commenting that Arora was suffering from no pre-existing disease or illness that could’ve caused her death, Pal added that the police would examine CCTV footage and video recordings from the venue to ensure that there was no foul play.
Arora’s body was handed over to her family on Monday after a post-mortem exam.
https://instagram.com/p/8yK-5mSaDQ/?taken-by=skrillex
The organiser, Mumbai-based Clockwork Events, reportedly faces a case of negligence (filed by Arora’s parents) as well as another for allegedly violating excise norms, according to The Tribune.
HuffPost India called up Clockwork Events’s office in Mumbai only to be told that “no one was there” and that no mobile numbers could be provided.
Source: HuffPost India, The Tribune India / Featured image from Skrillex’s Instagram.
