MANILA, Philippines (5th UPDATE) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Music Festival held at Ayala Triangle, Makati on Tuesday night, November 14, was canceled due to overcrowding.

Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Gerardo Umayao told Rappler that the event was canceled because “people began passing out.”

“Kasi hindi ma-kontrol ‘yung crowd, pina-cancel na ng organizer,” Umayao told Rappler in a phone interview. (Because the crowd could not be controlled, the organizer asked the event to be canceled.)

In an initial statement, the National Organizing Council of the ASEAN Music Festival said: “For reasons of public safety, we have stopped the show. People are slowly leaving the venue to go home. We are very sorry for the inconvenience.”

The night of music was a highly promoted event in line with the ASEAN Summit.

Photos by people at the concert venue showed a huge crowd filling the relatively small space at the Ayala Triangle Gardens, which is located behind the Philippine Stock Exchange in Makati.

Wag na po tayong humabol. #ASEANMusicFestPH pic.twitter.com/LUDlJZQXMg

— Annil Villanueva (@annilytics) November 14, 2017

According to Twitter user @leigolena, the crowd grew rowdy during the performance of Parokya ni Edgar.

lumabas yung host at nagsabi na kumalma lahat sabi nya wala dapat sya maririnig na ingay may sumigaw ba naman ng "magearphones ka na lang" tas pinapatahimik tong mga nasa likod sigaw pa nang sigaw.

— URSUE HINGCO CHAVEZ THE SECOND (@leigolena) November 14, 2017

The Twitter user said that some people in the audience fainted, or suffered from nosebleed. People in the audience started to fear a stampede would break out. The DOH confirmed that people in the crowd sustained minor injuries.

even the organizers were panicking, may mga nahihimatay na may dumugo yata ilong tas ayun, may katabi kami na magjowa na nakisabay na sa pagalis namin kasi ang gulo na talaga nakakatakot na magkastampede pa.

— URSUE HINGCO CHAVEZ THE SECOND (@leigolena) November 14, 2017

The organizers said in an earlier press release they were expecting a crowd of over 5,000. “Guidelines will be implemented on entry and exit points to ensure the security of the audience and the performers,” the press statement said. – Rappler.com