At least six people are dead after a stampede at a nightclub in Italy, which left dozens of others injured. Most of those killed are minors who were attending a rap concert at the Lanterna Azzurra club in the town of Corinaldo on the Adriatic coast.
There were unconfirmed reports of pepper spray being used inside the club, triggering the stampede. A railing outside of the nightclub then collapsed, causing many people to fall over a ledge, and others to fall on top of them.
Seven people are in critical condition, according to The New York Times, and have been taken to the hospital, and fourteen people have been hospitalized in serious condition. CNN reports a hundred people were treated for injuries.
#Corinaldo (AN) #8dic, nella clip il drammatico intervento dei #vigilidelfuoco nella discoteca dove hanno perso la vita sei giovanissimi pic.twitter.com/b9xjMiWp1k
— Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) December 8, 2018
The New York Times reports 1,400 tickets were sold for the concert by Italian rapper Sfera Ebbasta, even though the club can only legally hold 870 people.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said investigators were looking into whether "ammonia, pepper spray, toxic substances" were used inside the club before the stampede, according to The New York Times.
Salvini tweeted hours after the stampede that he is visiting the night club, and that officials will provide answers as soon as possible.
Ora a Corinaldo (#Ancona), mi sto recando presso la discoteca del tragico incidente.
— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) December 8, 2018
Tutte le Istituzioni stanno lavorando per darci delle risposte il prima possibile.
Nel frattempo, una preghiera per chi ha perso la vita e chi sta ancora lottando.
Vi tengo aggiornati. pic.twitter.com/ysnefezONX
In a statement Italian President Sergio Mattarella said he would work tirelessly to determine what was responsible for the deaths at the nightclub. "Citizens have the right to feel safe everywhere, in workplaces and in leisure areas. Therefore, safety must be assured with particular care in crowded meeting places, through rigorous controls," Mattarella said. "No one should die this way."
Ebbasta, the musician performing, said he is deeply saddened by the tragedy in an Instagram post.
Italy's Deputy Prime Minister, Luigi Di Maio, published the names of victims, all between the ages of 14 and 16, on his Facebook page. Di Maio wrote that the government was doing everything in its power to determine, "if all the security measures had been respected."
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