Officials in Brazil have officially launched an investigation into the Brazilian entertainment company who put on the show for Taylor Swift after a fan died last week.
Authorities in Rio De Janiero told NBC News that they are looking into Time4Fun, the organizers behind the Eras Tour concerts in the South American country.
A spokesperson for the Civil Police Department said its consumer delegations department are investigating where the entertainment company committed “the crime of endangering the life and health” of its concertgoers.
“Event organizers will be called to testify, and other steps are underway to investigate the facts,” the rep added.
Yet, according to NBC, the investigation is not directly related to the death of Ana Clara Benevides, the fan who recently passed away on November 17 after going into cardiac arrest.
The fan and many others were faces with temperatures near 140 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the concert for the “Cruel Summer” singer’s show.
The company issued a statement on their website in Portuguese Thursday that translated to English reads,“the comfort, safety and well-being of our consumers and employees are, always our priorities.”
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“Regarding the events in Rio de Janeiro, we apologize to the fans who did not have the best possible experience.”
In regards to 23-year-old Benevides, they said, “We are absolutely devastated by the loss … despite the prompt care and all the efforts carried out by the medical teams at the event and, later, at the hospital.”
The organizers also claimed that “first time in more than 40 years of operation” that a fatality was reported at one of their events.
“We make ourselves available to family members to provide any assistance they may need necessary,” the statement also said, adding that they were allegedly instructed by Benevides’ relatives to speak to them via their attorney.
“We understand the deep pain of this loss irreparable, we respect the family’s privacy and reinforce T4F’s willingness to collaborate with both the family and the responsible authorities, who are still working to determine the cause of death,” the entertainment company added.
Time4Fun CEO Serafim Abreu also released a video message via the company’s Instagram account Thursday, in which he reportedly said in Portuguese, “We know the enormous responsibility we have to organize an event of this scale, which is why we did not economize in our efforts or resources to follow the best global practices in our industry to guarantee the comfort and safety of all.
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After the passing, the organizers faced criticism for not allowing concertgoers to bring water bottles into the packed stadium despite the extreme heat.
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The father of Benevides, Weiny Machado, told a Brazilian news outlet after his daughter’s passing, “I have no words to express my pain. She left home to fulfill a dream and came back dead.”
He also went on to add, “I want it to be found out whether they were in fact prohibited from bringing water, whether there was negligence in providing assistance.”
Time4Fun even amended their policies for the next concerts, writing on Instagram in Portuguese on Nov. 18, “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.”
Swift herself made her own statement on the situation on social media adding that she was deeply saddened by the situation.
She added at the time, “I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this.”
