CORINALDO, Italy (CNN) — A stampede at a rap concert in an Italian nightclub killed five teenagers and one adult, and left dozens of people injured early Saturday, authorities said.
At least 35 people were wounded in the chaos at the Lanterna Azzurra nightclub in Corinaldo, Italian news agency ANSA reported.
Hundreds of people had been waiting to see popular rapper Sfera Ebbasta perform when someone in the club sprayed an “irritant substance,” leading to a stampede, the civil protection agency said.
Five teenagers and a woman who had accompanied her daughter to the concert were killed, said Luigi Di Maio, a deputy prime minister. He identified those killed as Asia Nasoni, 14; Daniele Pongetti, 16; Benedetta Vitali, 15; Mattia Orlandi,15; Emma Fabini, 14; and 39-year-old Eleonora Girolimini.
“These (victims) are young people. It’s absurd to die this way. As a government we will do everything we can to clarify the circumstances and make sure the security norms were followed,” Maio posted on Facebook.
Numerous paramedics were seen treating concertgoers on the street following the stampede.
Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini, who also serves as a deputy prime minister, held a moment of silence in honor of the victims during a political rally in Rome.
“You cannot die like this at 15. Thoughts and prayers for the six dead tonight in Marche. I hope the 13 who are seriously injured in the hospital get well. And a commitment: find the responsible,” Salvini tweeted hours after the stampede.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella promised to work tirelessly to determine “any responsibility and negligence.”
“Citizens have the right to feel safe everywhere, in workplaces and in leisure areas. Therefore, safety must be assured with particular care in crowded meeting places, through rigorous controls,” Mattarella said in a statement. “No one should die this way.”
Corinaldo is in the eastern coast province of Ancona — about 90 miles (145 km) east of Florence.
