The Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas, was the site of what reports have dubbed a “mass casualty incident” on Friday night. A crowd surge during Travis Scott’s performance led to at least eight deaths and more injuries, the Associated Press reported. Those who died were between 16 and 23 years old, the city mayor’s office told the New York Times.
Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said that a surge toward the stage caused concertgoers to become alarmed. “People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic,” he told the AP. Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite said that an agreement was reached to end the show early and cancel the second day of the festival.
Twenty-three people were taken to nearby hospitals, 11 of whom were in cardiac arrest, according to the New York Times. Over 300 people were treated at a field hospital at NRG Park, though the AP noted that was “throughout the day,” meaning not all were a result of the evening-ending surge.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner “urged people not to jump to conclusions about what caused the surge,” according to the AP, which also reported that the causes of death were not yet determined.
Early Saturday morning, the festival made a statement via social media, saying their hearts were with “those we lost and their loved ones,” and thanking the Houston police and fire departments. They also asked anyone with “relevant information” about “the series of cardiac arrests” to reach out.
As of Saturday, social media was a mess of unverified reports about the scene. One video that does appear to be from the concert shows a man trying to approach the forward pit in the hopes of helping people and climbing onto what seems to be the soundboard operator or a cameraperson’s platform.
On social media, some recalled an incident in 2015 when Scott was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after his set at Chicago’s Lollapalooza festival. Police said he had encouraged fans to climb over security barriers and taunted security guards.
On Friday, Scott paused his performance three times, pointing to distressed people in the crowd and asking that someone help, a concertgoer told the New York Times.
Fire Chief Peña estimated that 50,000 people were at NRG Park. Astroworld, which was founded by Scott, was inaugurated in 2018, paused in 2020 due to COVID-19, and returned this year. Much of the 2019 Netflix documentary Look Ma, I Can Fly focused on Scott organizing the first Astroworld festival. Friday night’s show included an unannounced appearance from Drake. Headliners for the now-canceled Saturday lineup included Chief Keef, Bad Bunny, and Young Thug. Scott’s headlining set was streamed live on Apple Music.
Scott and his partner Kylie Jenner are currently expecting their second child. Jenner received some blowback on Saturday when she failed to remove Instagram posts from Scott’s Friday night performance once news of the tragedy had spread.
At midday on Saturday, Scott made a statement on social media, saying he was “devastated” by the incident and was “committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need.”
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