Woman who collapsed at Boston nightclub has died, city suspends club

BOSTON — A woman who collapsed on the dance floor at a Boston nightclub has passed away, her family has confirmed, and now the City of Boston has suspended a nightclub’s Entertainment license as an investigation gets underway.

Anastacia Morales was out with her sister and friends Saturday night at the Icon Nightclub in Boston.

Boston 25 spoke with Angelica Morales, Anastacia’s sister, on Monday. She says they were out celebrating Angelica’s birthday, dancing, when all of a sudden Anastacia collapsed. Her family says she passed away on Tuesday.

“Even security, I begged them, I was screaming on the top of my lungs, pick my sister up like bring her outside where she has oxygen, there’s no oxygen in here it’s low oxygen everyone’s smoking,” said Morales on Monday.

“My sister was falling, so I grabbed her so her head wouldn’t hit the floor, and then I just started panicking,” said Morales.

According to Morales, her sister and her friends tried getting the DJ to stop the music. Morales says he did for a few minutes, only for him to turn the music back on.

“Some people cared and some people didn’t, it was just so like demonic too when that music came back on everybody just not caring, I’m screaming trying to overpower the music and I just couldn’t,” said Morales.

Boston police say staff responded immediately and called emergency services while an off-duty EMT rendered first aid.

Police said that the crowd could not give them ample working space, which caused them to close the club down while Anastacia was transported to the hospital.

“The whole thing is negligence; they literally didn’t care for my sister, they played with my sister,” said Morales.

Her family says she passed away on Tuesday, likely from cardiac arrest.

Her sister also says Anastacia had an underlying heart condition.

She now leaves behind two children, including a six-month-old baby.

Her family is now questioning whether the club could have done more to save her.

In a statement issued by the entertainment division of the mayor’s office of consumer affairs and licensing, they said there will be a hearing on the future of Icon’s liquor license in the next few weeks, “Following the incident early Sunday morning, the Entertainment Division of the Mayor’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Licensing has suspended ICON Nightclub’s entertainment license, effective immediately. In the coming weeks, the Boston Licensing Board will convene to hold a hearing on the future of ICON’s liquor license.

Icon Management released a statement on Tuesday afternoon, stating the following:

We are deeply saddened by the medical emergency that occurred at our club early Sunday morning. Our staff responded immediately and called emergency services while an off-duty EMT rendered first aid. Police and medical personnel arrived on scene, and the individual was transported to the hospital, where they later passed away. We are cooperating fully with all inquiries from law enforcement and city officials who are reviewing this medical episode.
Our thoughts and condolences are with the individual’s family and loved ones.
— Icon Management

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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