The cause of death for Ana Clara Benevides, the 23-year-old Swiftie who died at Taylor Swift‘s concert in Rio de Janeiro, has been revealed. The AP obtained a copy of a forensics report Wednesday, Dec. 27, confirming that Benevides died of heat exhaustion.
The Forensic Medical Institute in Rio said Benevides’ heat exposure led to cardiorespiratory arrest. The report added that Benevides had a “serious compromise of her lungs and sudden death” due to the heat exposure. She also did not have any preexisting conditions or substance abuse issues.
Benevides reportedly fainted as Swift performed “Cruel Summer” during night one of the Eras Tour stop in Rio, back in November; she died hours later at the hospital. During the show, temperatures reached over 100 degrees with heat intensifying inside Nilton Santos Stadium. Fans have accused organizers T4F of not supplying attendees with water.
Rio’s prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal investigation against T4F, saying Wednesday that after analyzing the forensics report “representatives of the company organizing the event will be called to testify.”
After learning of Benevides’ death, Swift shared an Instagram story saying she was “overwhelmed by grief.”
“I can’t believe I’m writing these words but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show,” Swift wrote. “I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this. There’s very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.”
She continued, “I’m not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it. I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends. This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil.”
Rio’s mayor Eduardo Paes called Benevides’ death “unacceptable.” Significant changes were made for Swift’s next two concerts in Rio, such as opening the stadium one hour earlier, adding new water distribution checkpoints, and making more brigades available.
Swift also invited the family members of Benevides’ family to her last show in Brazil, snapping photos with them backstage as they wore shirts with her photo. The fans watched Swift’s show from one of the VIP tents.
After Benevides’ passing, her father Weiny called her “my only daughter, a happy and intelligent girl,” in an interview with the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo. “She was about to graduate in psychology next April, saving money,” Weiny added. “I have no words to express my pain. She left home to fulfill a dream and came back dead.”
