Overview

• Eleven people were injured when panic over an insect at the Vine City MARTA station triggered a crowd surge that overloaded an escalator after Beyoncé’s Atlanta show.
• The escalator briefly accelerated under the weight of fleeing passengers before abruptly stopping, causing fans to fall and pile up at the bottom steps.
• MARTA and manufacturer Schindler have barricaded the unit and opened a coordinated investigation into whether mechanical issues contributed to the malfunction.
• Officials note the escalator passed inspection days before the incident but say the sudden surge may have exceeded its design capacity.
• Acting CEO Rhonda Allen pledged to increase staffing levels and enforce stricter passenger-flow management at future high-capacity events to prevent similar crushes.