Live Nation, the organizer behind the music festival Astroworld, has released a statement after the death of at least eight people at the event in Houston, Texas.
“Our hearts are with the Astroworld festival family tonight – especially those we lost and their loved ones,” the festival shared on Twitter.
“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 the Houston Police.” The statement went on to thank the first responders on the scene.
HOUSTON CROWD CRUSH, PANIC AT ASTROWORLD MUSIC FEST RESULT IN AT LEAST 8 DEAD
Late Friday evening, at least eight people died and numerous others were injured in what officials described as a surge of the crowd at Astroworld while rapper Travis Scott was performing.
Officials declared a “mass casualty incident” just after 9 p.m. Friday during the festival where an estimated 50,000 people were in attendance, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña told reporters at a news conference.
Ambulance lights are seen in the crowd during the Astroworld music festiwal in Houston, November 5, 2021 in this still image obtained from a social media video on November 6, 2021.
(Courtesy of Twitter @ONACASELLA /via REUTERS)
“The crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage, and that caused some panic, and it started causing some injuries,” the fire chief said. “People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic.”
The crowd and stage at Astroworld Music Festival at NRG Park on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, in Houston.
(Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
The fire chief said “scores of individuals” were injured. Officials transported 17 people to hospitals, including 11 who were in cardiac arrest, Peña said. Many people were also treated at the scene at NRG Park, where a field hospital had been set up. About 300 people were examined at that site throughout the day, he said.
Peña said officials did not immediately know the causes of death for the eight people who died. A medical examiner would investigate. It wasn’t clear whether all eight who died were among the 17 that had been transported to hospitals. The deceased had not been identified as of early Saturday.
Travis Scott performs at Day 1 of the Astroworld Music Festival at NRG Park on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, in Houston.
(Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
Astroworld is a two-day music festival that was scheduled to take place Friday and Saturday in Houston. The event was sold out, according to the Astroworld website.
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At the time of the incident, Scott and Drake were performing on stage. Reps for the rappers didn’t immediately return Fox News’ request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
