A commotion erupted at an escalator following a Beyoncé concert in Atlanta, with reports of a girl screaming about an insect causing a stampede that left nearly a dozen people injured. As concert-goers were leaving the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, chaos ensued when a person started running and screaming, leading to a panic situation just after midnight, according to Stephany Fisher, senior director of communications for MARTA.
The escalator, filled with people, suddenly accelerated and then came to an abrupt stop, resulting in injuries. One person suffered a broken ankle, seven were taken to the hospital with cuts and scrapes, while two others sought medical assistance after leaving the venue. MARTA police chief Scott Kreher attributed the panic to a cockroach or “palmetto bug” that startled a 10-year-old girl.
A video shared on TikTok captured the pandemonium, showing people screaming and trapped on the motionless escalator. CEO Rhonda Allen informed the MARTA board that the escalator had passed an inspection recently, but the malfunction was likely caused by the weight and sudden movement of the crowd. The escalator has since been barricaded and is under review by the manufacturer, Schindler, and MARTA Safety.
Moving forward, MARTA plans to implement a more robust staffing approach for events to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
