According to CNN, eight festival-goers died and hundreds more were injured last night (Nov. 5) when a crowd rushed toward the stage at the Astroworld music festival. Officials said that there were about 50,000 people in attendance at the outdoor venue and that about 300 people were immediately treated at the field hospital located near the festival.
Fans reportedly began surging towards the stage during Travis Scott’s performance around 9:30pm, leaving many attendees trampled and struggling for space and air. A concert-goer recounted her experiences at the festival.
“The crowd was squishing me so much that I felt like I couldn’t breathe,” said Emily Munguia, “I started screaming for help… I felt so scared, like I was going to die.” Munguia continued, “The amount of people I saw get hurt, passed out, bleeding, crying is crazy.”
According to ABC, the victims ages range from 14 to 27 years old. NRG Park is now the site of an active crime scene as officials conduct an investigation on the cause of the fatalities. According to Stereogum, the final night of the festival has since been cancelled.
Scott has released a statement via 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… I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need.”
Travis Scott recently headlined the Rolling Loud New York music festival in late October. He is also scheduled to perform at Day N Vegas on November 12 and 14.
UPDATE 11/6: According to Consequence, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner confirmed a report that an unidentified individual at the venue may have been injecting people with unknown drugs.
UPDATE: 11/7: Travis Scott posted on his Instagram story responding to the situation, asking for anyone with information about the incident to contact local authorities and offering his prayers to the victims’ families. Watch the video below:
Photo Credit: Mauricio Alvarado
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