When a mob pushed towards the front stage, crushing audience members who had nowhere to flee at the event attended by some 50,000 admirers of American rapper Travis Scott, it escalated into a “mass casualty” tragedy, leaving at least eight people dead and scores of others injured.
People started falling after the large crowd began to crush toward the front of the stage on Friday, forcing the Astroworld Festival in Houston to cancel the jam-packed performance featuring multiple acts by Scott.
Saturday’s Astroworld event has been canceled! Please keep the eight victims and hundreds more injured in your thoughts and prayers, according to a tweet from the Houston Office of Emergency Management.
Astroworld Festival is an annual music festival organized by American rapper Scott and hosted in NRG Park in Houston, Texas, on the old Six Flags Astroworld grounds.
“The crowd for whatever reason began to push and surge towards the front of the stage, which caused the people in the front to be compressed — they were unable to escape that situation,” Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena told CNN on Saturday.
Why Lucky Ali Says I Want To Stay Far Away From Politics?
That generated fear, he added, and the situation escalated, overtaxing security forces on the scene. “People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic,” Pena said at a news conference.
Scott released his first statement on Friday’s incident via his verified Twitter account on Saturday.
“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 the tragic loss of life,” he said.
I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support families in need. Thank you to Houston PD, Fire Department, and NRG Park for their immediate response and support, Scott said.
Scott came to fame in the early 2010s for his unique vocal style. Astroworld is also the name of his third studio album released in 2018 to critical acclaim.
Scott and Kylie Jenner, from the famed Kardashian family, have a daughter.