Eight people were killed as hundreds were also injured last Friday during rapper Travis Scott’s performance at the Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas last weekend.
Thousands of attendees compressed toward the stage while he was performing resulting in “total chaos.”
A press conference last Saturday mentioned that “more than 300 people were treated for injuries following the incident.”
Houston Fire Department Chief Sam Peña said in a press conference the day after that, “23 people were taken to area hospitals, 11 in critical condition, including a 10-year-old boy.”
Names of the victims were withheld but the ages of those who died were revealed. Two teens aged 14 and 16, two 21-year-olds, two aged 23 and a 27-year-old individual. One of the victims’ age was undetermined.
Reports said that the incident occurred around 9 p.m. during Scott’s set. “The crowd for whatever reason began to push and surge towards the front stage, which caused the people in the front to be compressed. They were unable to escape the situation,” the Fire Department Chief said. Peña added that the investigation into the tragedy will look into “what caused, one, the issue of the crowd surge, and two, what prevented people from being able to escape that situation.”
In a CNN report, Scott was said to have briefly stopped his set as ambulances rushed onto the venue.
The whole concert was eventually stopped by show organizers and the authorities. The Friday lineup of the festival included SZA, Master P, Yves Tumor, Toro y Moi, Roddy Rich, Lil Baby and Travis Scott as the headlining act. The 2-day event was inevitably cancelled after the tragedy.
The day after, Scott posted on Twitter, “I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival. Houston PD has my total support as they continue to look into that tragic loss of life. I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need. Thank you Houston PD, Fire Department and NRG Park for their immediate response and support. Love you all.”