Taylor Swift's concert organizers in Brazil have announced new safety measures after the tragic death of a young fan.
Ana Clara Benevides, 23, sadly died after arriving at the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Friday (November 17) for the 33-year-old's concert.
According to the Brazilian newspaper Fohla De Sao Paolo, Benevides fainted and was later taken to the hospital after initially receiving treatment inside the stadium. Her cousin, Estela Benevides, told the outlet that Ana ultimately died of cardiorespiratory arrest, however, no official cause of death has been disclosed as of this writing.
Swift is believed to have been completely unaware of the 23-year-old's passing as she took to the stage - later issuing a heartbreaking statement on Instagram expressing her devastation.
After news of Ana's death was shared online, furious fans took aim at entertainment company, Time For Fun (T4F), for allegedly banning concert-goers from taking water into the open-air venue.
They even held the organizers responsible for the late fan's death and posted their vitriol in the comment section of T4F's initial statement in response to Benevides' tragic passing.
One user claimed: "One person lost his LIFE because of the irresponsibility of the organization! What measures are you going to take from now on so that it doesn't happen again? It's a question of humanity and respect for the public and the memory of the girl."
Another interjected: "Who is to blame ???? WHOSE NO WATER ENTRANCE AT THE EVENT!!!! This is ridiculous. There had to be at least a pipe truck throwing water at these people. The heat is equal to your service: UNBEARABLE!"
Benevides's death came as fans battled the blistering heat and humidity throughout the duration of the show on Friday as the capital city hit a record high of the heat index at 59.3C, per Reuters.
Due to the high temperatures, Swift explained on her Instagram Story that she is postponing the event for the "safety and wellbeing of her fans, fellow performers, and crew".
But before the announcement, the organizers of the concert - who are described as the third largest live entertainment company in Latin America - released a second statement revealing an action plan following the tragedy.
"Given the forecast of an increase in the heat wave in the city of Rio de Janeiro, 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," they wrote, per Daily Mail.
"New free water distribution points will be available to the public during the event," they continued. "Entry to the stadium with sealed glasses of water and sealed processed food will also be permitted, with no limitation on items per person."
After backlash online, T4F clarified in their post that the requirement of "sealed items follows safety recommendations," adding: "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 entertainment company said that service staff would also be reinforced with 200 extra employees in addition to the 1,230 already working the event.
"In addition, the medical care structure was reinforced, totaling 8 available medical stations, 8 ambulances, and 8 mobile ICUs," they finished.
These measures will probably be put into place when Swift resumes her run of shows in Brazil.
The singer - who was "struggling to breathe" due to the extreme weather conditions - still has two more shows left in Rio de Janeiro and will then travel to Sao Paulo for three more shows.
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