The singer’s Atlanta concert ended with 11 injured after a bug sighting caused panic on an escalator near Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Beyoncé drew tens of thousands to her Cowboy Carter tour stop in Atlanta, but the night ended in chaos when a bug sighting led to an escalator mishap that injured 11 people at a nearby train station. The incident unfolded just after midnight on Tuesday (July 15) at Vine City Station, adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Beyoncé had just wrapped her sold-out show.
According to Stephany Fisher, senior director of communications for MARTA, “Just after midnight on Tuesday, July 15, 11 people leaving the Beyoncé concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta were injured on an escalator at Vine City Station.
One person suffered a broken ankle, seven people were transported to the hospital with cuts and scrapes. And one person declined transport. Two people requested medical assistance after reaching their destinations.”
@user2769950472074 I heard ppl screaming behind me and pushing all of us while on the escalator before it gave out. #cowboycarter #altanta #vinecity #atl #fyp #ccwt
The chain reaction reportedly began when a 10-year-old girl screamed after spotting a cockroach, triggering panic among the crowd. “There was someone who started to scream outside of the station. She was startled by a bug outside, outside the large crowd,” acting MARTA CEO Rhonda Allen told the transit board.
Fisher added, “MARTA Police on scene said there was a scream, and witnesses said the person who screamed was reacting to an insect. I believe there’s also video on TikTok of a woman claiming it was a 10-year-old relative who screamed when she saw a bug.”
The sudden commotion caused the escalator to surge, resulting in a pileup of passengers. The equipment’s manufacturer, Schindler, later confirmed the escalator itself did not malfunction. “As previously stated, we are aware of the incident that occurred at Vine City Station on July 15. As reported during yesterday’s MARTA Working Session, the escalator was inspected by state officials the morning following the incident.
“And there was no indication of equipment malfunction; rather, preliminarily it appears that the escalator was overloaded beyond design capacity causing the unit to briefly accelerate. And the brakes to engage as part of the unit’s multi-layered, code-required safety system,” the company said in a statement.
Despite the chaotic ending, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour continues to dominate the summer concert circuit. The genre-blending project has packed stadiums across the country, with critics praising her bold foray into country music and her ability to seamlessly fuse it with her signature sound.
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