Officials have launched an investigation into a Brazilian entertainment company after a fan died during a show they produced for Taylor Swift last week, according to NBC News.
Authorities in Rio de Janeiro told the outlet Wednesday that they are probing 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 whether the entertainment company committed the “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.
However, according to NBC, the investigation is not directly related to the death of Ana Clara Benevides, the Taylor Swift fan who passed away on Nov. 17 after going into cardiac arrest due to the sweltering temperatures amid the “Cruel Summer” songstress’ show.
Pvnew has reached out to reps at Time4Fun for comment but did not immediately hear back.
The company issued a lengthy statement on their website in Portuguese Thursday that translated to English reads in part, “The comfort, safety and well-being of our consumers and employees are, always our priorities.
“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 claimed in their statement that this was the “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.
After Benevides’ passing, the organizers were slammed for not allowing concertgoers to bring water bottles into the packed stadium despite the extreme heat.
Temperatures during the Nov. 17 concert were reportedly 43.8 degrees Celsius, but felt like 59.7 degrees Celsius, which converts to close to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Benevides’ father, 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.”
“I want it to be found out whether they were in fact prohibited from bringing water, whether there was negligence in providing assistance.”
Time4Fun 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, 33, has three more concerts left in Brazil, which according to her tour website are scheduled to take place in São Paulo from Friday to Sunday.
The Grammy winner said via social media that she had a “shattered heart” following Benevides’ death.
She added at the time, “I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this.”
