Crowd surge outside UCLA basketball game prompts concern

WESTWOOD — A apical UCLA authoritative apologized Saturday aft a surge of fans waiting to participate Pauley Pavilion for Friday night’s men’s hoops crippled against Villanova created a scare successful the aftermath of the caller deadly crush astatine the Astroworld performance successful Houston.

“Thank you to each who attended tonight’s hoops game,” Bruins Athletic Director Martin Jarmond tweeted astatine 12:36 a.m. “I’m alert of challenges immoderate had with the enactment to get into the game. We were not adequately staffed to grip the turnout. I apologize and it volition beryllium corrected moving forward.”

Fans waited for hours to get into the arena earlier the game, which UCLA won 86-77 successful overtime. Some students told the Los Angeles Times that the staffing shortages were exacerbated by radical cutting successful line.

“With a sold-out crippled and tremendous pupil and instrumentality interest, we’re alert of challenges with the enactment and were not adequately staffed,” diversion section spokesperson Scott Markley told The Times. “We apologize and volition close it going forward.”

No injuries were reported.

Nine radical suffered fatal injuries successful the crush of fans aft panic ripped done the assemblage during rapper Travis Scott’s acceptable astatine the Astroworld Festival connected Nov. 5.