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Eight people have died and over a dozen more are allegedly been sent to hospital after being trampled by crowds at Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas during a performance by Travis Scott.
In an attempt to reach the main stage the rapper was performing on, crowds surged forward in a stampede.
Various accounts from attendees at the festival have stated that when a timer warned of Travis Scott and his pending performance, people started to rush towards the stage.
Standing room was so tight that people reported being unable to breathe. Instagram videos show the throngs of fans scrambling over each other – including an ambulance attempting to navigate the crowd and attend injured partygoers.
One video that has been shared on Twitter shows that members of the crowd attempted to warn staff what was happening but were ignored.
"Stop the show" and the staff did nothing. This shit is fcking heartbreaking #AstroWorld
pic.twitter.com/nFiqGk65aU— trey 〽️ (@honest_papi) November 6, 2021
Even before the tragic events at the mainstage, there were signs that this festival was not going to plan.
Footage of the entrance gates shows security being pushed aside as crowds raced inside.
Ticketing reports stated that 50,000 people were expected to attend the two-day event but the official final number has not been confirmed.
As we were arriving to the Astroworld Festival at NRG Park right at 2:00, a stampede burst through the gates. Hundreds of people destroyed the VIP security entrance, bypassing the checkpoint. People were trampled. Some were detained.
(Excuse any language you may hear) pic.twitter.com/d0m2rjqAAk
— Mycah Hatfield (@MycahABC13) November 5, 2021
Scott took to Twitter to state he was devastated by the events that occurred but there has also been criticism of his failure to respond at the time.
— TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) November 6, 2021
Travis Scott has been accused of his performance over the safety of attendees, saying that there were clear signs that trouble had kicked off.
There have also been accusations that several emergency workers who were on the scene lacked any medical training and teenage attendees were forced to perform CPR on fellow guests instead.
An investigation into the festival and its procedures is currently underway.
