Travis Scott’s Astroworld set ended in a “mass casualty incident” with eight attendees left dead at NRG Park in Houston, Texas.
A stampede erupted in the crowd during Scott’s headlining performance at the first day of the annual festival on Friday (Nov. 5). Eight people were confirmed dead and at least 23 people were taken to the hospital, including a 10-year-old, police told The Daily Mail. The identities of the deceased and their official causes of death have not been made public. Some of the people hospitalized reportedly suffered cardiac arrest.
Over 300 people were examined by medical staff on-site where they set up a field hospital. The second day of the festival has been canceled and a reunification center has been set up at the local Wyndham Hotel.
In videos from the event shared on social media, people in the crowd can be heard screaming to Scott, asking for him for help. At one point, the rapper can be heard asking security to “jump in real quick” before he continues his set.
In other viral footage from the deadly festival, one attendee manages to climb up to one of the livestream video towers, where she is seen pointing to the chaos below and begging the camera operator to stop the show.
Houston Police Department’s Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite, who was on duty at the event, said in a statement, “Once we started having the mass casualty incident, they were starting CPR on several people, and it happened all at once.”
The official Astroworld Facebook account published this statement regarding the event:
“Our hearts are with the Astroworld festival family tonight – especially those we lost and their loved ones. We are focused on supporting local officials however we can, with that in mind the festival will no longer be held on Saturday. As authorities mentioned in their press conference earlier, they are looking into the series of cardiac arrests that took place. If you have any relevant information on this, please reach out to @Houstonpolice. Thank you to our partners at the Houston Police Department, fire department, and NRG park for their response and support.”
Kylie Jenner, Scott’s girlfriend/the mother of their daughter Stormi, was criticized by fans after posting a video of the crowd with an ambulance in it on her Instagram Story. Her sister Kendall was reportedly also in attendance.
See footage from the event, below.
Warning: Some videos are graphic.