Before the show, Steve Aoki tweeted, "MADRID!!!!! HOLA! IM HERE IN YOUR CITY! READY TO PARTY WITH U! SOLD OUT TONIGHT! WOOHOOO!"
But Halloween went bad in the Spanish capital, where Aoki's concert ended in tragedy after three women died in a post-show stampede.
Spin reports that paramedics were called to Aoki's Thriller Music Park concert at Madrid Arena around 4 a.m. on Thursday morning after two revelers suffered cardiac arrest. When crews arrived, however, they "found five people in distress." Two were pronounced dead at the venue, a third died at a nearby hospital, and two others remain in critical condition.
Read Aoki's comments after cut.
A Statement From Steve Aoki
After my performance last night at Thriller Music Park at the Madrid Arena in Spain, I was devastated to hear that three people had died during a crowd rush at one of the exits. The safety of my fans has always been my top priority and had I known that there was any distress putting people in jeopardy within the venue I would have ended my show immediately. My show in Bilbao Spain tonight will be cancelled out of respect for those who lost their lives and those who are injured. I would like to express my deepest condolences and heart felt prayers to the families and loved ones during this difficult time.
Police are still investigating the incident, though early analysis suggests that the crowd panicked after a flare was set off inside the arena, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.
"Some boy threw a flare and from there all hell broke loose," Sandra Ballesteros tells El Pais. "I found myself in the middle of one hallway with my legs up in the air. Thanks to some boy I was able to escape; I don't know how he got me out."
Ballesteros was one of lucky ones.
Katia Esteban Casielles, Cristina Arce de la Fuente, and Rocío Oña Pineda perished while María Teresa Alonso Vinateo and Belén Langdon Real remain in critical condition.
Aoki is scheduled to play Salzburg, Austria today.
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