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The distraught father of Taylor Swift’s fan who died after her Brazil concert due to severe heat has sought an explanation from concert organizers.
Weiny Machado, Benevides’ father, told the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo that he wants the promoters to clarify whether concertgoers were prevented from bringing water inside the show last Friday in Rio de Janeiro.
‘I want it to be found out whether they were in fact prohibited from bringing water, whether there was negligence in providing assistance,’ Machado told the paper. ‘I lost my only daughter, a happy and intelligent girl.
‘She was about to graduate in psychology next April, saving money. I have no words to express my pain. She left home to fulfill a dream and came back dead.’
Ana’s cousin Estela Benevides informed the media that Ana fainted before her death on Friday while watching Swift, 33, play as part of her Eras Tour at the Estádio Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro in triple-digit temperatures.
Ana fainted in the front row of Taylor Swift’s concert and was’resuscitated at the stadium for around 40 minutes’ before suffering a second cardiac attack on the way to the hospital, according to the article.
Ana died shortly after arriving at a nearby hospital, with the tabloid stating that the heat index at the stadium’reached 60C’ – 140F – and that firefighters ‘counted a thousand faintings throughout the event.’
According to Ana’s cousin Gabriela Benevides, they are scared that they “will not have the resources” to have Ana’s remains returned to them.
Fans took to social media to complain that they were not allowed to bring water bottles into the stadium.
Swift announced on Instagram on Saturday that she was canceling her second scheduled performance at the stadium.
‘I’m writing this from my dressing room in the stadium,’ Swift said. ‘The decision has been made to postpone tonight’s show due to the extreme temperatures in Rio. The safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers and crew always has to come first.’
Swift had uploaded another Instagram Story hours earlier, telling fans she was ‘overwhelmed’ by grief over Ana’s death.
Swift’s cancellation of Saturday’s event was confirmed by Time For Fun, which stated it had implemented a’special action plan’ due to the high temperatures.
‘Given the forecast of an increase in the heat wave in the city, we inform you that we are reinforcing the special action plan carried out for the first day of the show, especially the provision of free water in the queues and at all accesses and entrances to the stadium and inside,’ the company said.
‘In this way, new free water distribution points will be available to the public during the event.
‘Entry into the stadium with sealed glasses of water and sealed processed food will also be permitted, with no limitation on items per person. We clarify that the requirement for items to be sealed follows safety recommendations.’
The company continued: ‘We also emphasize that the prohibition of bottles of water entering stadiums is a requirement made by public bodies and that we do not sell drinks and food, this being the responsibility of the stadium administration.’
The company said it had beefed up resources amid the heavily-attended shows taking place during the sweltering heatwave.
