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yesterday

Nine Injured in Panic and Escalator Malfunction at Vine City MARTA Station

MARTA officials are investigating whether an insect-startled scream or a mechanical fault led to the crowd surge after Beyoncé’s Atlanta show.

FILE - Beyonce, left, accepts the Innovator Award during the iHeartRadio Music Awards, April 1, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
Beyoncé walks backstage during the 2017 Budweiser Made in America Festival at Benjamin Franklin Parkway on September 3, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Overview

  • A scream, possibly from a fan startled by an insect, triggered a rush on the Vine City MARTA station escalator after Beyoncé’s show around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.
  • MARTA spokesperson Stephany Fisher said the escalator unexpectedly accelerated before stopping abruptly, causing riders to fall.
  • Emergency responders treated and transported nine injured concertgoers, including one with a broken ankle and seven with cuts and scrapes.
  • Footage from local outlets showed fans being evacuated on stretchers and in wheelchairs as MARTA police and fire crews assisted.
  • MARTA has opened an investigation into the cause of the panic and the escalator’s behavior, and its crowd-management and maintenance protocols are now under review.