Everything we know about the Astroworld Festival tragedy
by Ana Walia | Mon, 08 Nov 2021 09:04:37 GMT
Travis Scott founded "Astroworld" in 2018. Image Source: Fox News 

The entire world went into a sudden shock when it was reported that eight attendees aged 14–27 were killed and more were injured during Travis Scott’s 2021 Astroworld Festival at NRG Park in Houston, Texas on November 5th, 2021. The 30-year-old rapper founded Astroworld in 2018 and after the incident, the organizers released a statement that stated, "Our hearts are with the Astroworld festival family tonight, especially those we lost and their loved ones."

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña during a news conference that was held on November 6th, 2021, stated, "This is a tragic night. We know that we had at least 8 confirmed fatalities tonight, and we had scores of individuals that were injured here in this event." The fire chief also reported that there were nearly 50,000 people who attended the music festival, explaining that the crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage around 9:00 p.m., which led to panic and injuries.

Chief Samuel Peña also added during the conference while describing the situation at the show, "At the start of the mass casualty incident, when it was triggered… We transferred 17 patients to the hospital. We won’t know the cause of death of the eight that were confirmed until the medical examiner has completed his investigation, but we are in the process and the Houston Police Department is sending units to the hospitals to identify these patients."

A senior Houston police officer, Larry Satterwhite, mentioned that the authorities who were present at the show suddenly witnessed several people down on the ground and experiencing some type of cardiac arrest or medical episode. As soon as they witnessed it, they rushed to help the people. Niaara Goods, who was also at the show, shared that as soon as Travis Scott came out on-stage to perform, there was some kind of energy that took place and everything went haywire. She added, "All of a sudden, your ribs are being crushed. You have someone’s arm in your neck. You’re trying to breathe but you can’t … It was literally the scariest night of my life. I actually thought I was going to die."

The cause of the sudden rush amongst the people is still under investigation, but some witnesses have reported that the chaos happened because people were rushing to the front of the stage. One of the concertgoers mentioned that the event was chaotic and hectic from the beginning. She said, "I got there around 3 and saw people already struggling to stand straight. There was a lot of mob mentality going on, people willing to do whatever to be in line for merchandise, food, shows, you name it. A lot of fights broke out throughout the day."

Some videos were posted on YouTube and now have been removed that showcased that Travis Scott was telling the crowd gathered to hear his songs, "I want to see some rages. Who wants to rage?" And just a few moments later, to calm the commotion down, he said, "There’s an ambulance in the crowd. Whoa, whoa, woah." There are some other videos circulating across social media that showcase that the people noticed the rage and chaos and asked the organizers and the rapper to stop the show, but their voices fizzled out in the over-powering music. 

After the show’s promoter agreed to stop the show, Travis Scott appeared on-stage to complete his set and went on to perform 36 minutes after the disaster of chaos had taken place. One of the users who attended the show took to their social media account to share the horrifying incident. They wrote, "The rush of people became tighter and tighter … Breathing became something only a few were capable of. The rest were crushed or unable to breathe in the thick hot air," the user wrote, describing people falling to the ground, "like watching a Jenga tower topple. Person after person was sucked down."

In his statement, Travis Scott said that he is devastated by the incident and urged his fans and supporters with information to contact the authorities. He also mentioned that the authorities have his support as they look forward to the case of the tragic loss of life at the show. Travis Scott also stated that he is going to work to ‘heal and support’, the families in need and that he cannot imagine the severity of the situation from where he was performing.

Travis Scott stated, "My fans really mean the world to me and I always want to leave them with a positive experience and anytime I can make out anything that’s going on, I stop the show and help them get the help they require, you know? 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 the Astroworld festival. Anytime I can make out anything that’s going on, ya know, I stop the show, and you know, help them get the help they require. I could just not imagine the severity of the situation.Kylie Jenner also came out in support of her partner and mentioned that she wants to be clear that they weren’t aware of any fatalities until the news of the chaotic situation broke after the show. Otherwise, the singer would have stopped performing and filming.

Drake also joined Travis Scott on-stage, which was then live-streamed by Apple Music, and the pictures were posted on social media after the performance. Kid Cudi took to his social media to express his grief about the situation and tweeted, "Really messed up about the news at Astroworld. My heart goes out to the families who lost a loved one last night and everyone who was injured. Sad fucking day man." Beyoncé also expressed her grief by stating, "My heart goes out to every person affected by the tragedy in Houston. Praying for the families and loved ones of the victims. #BeyGood".

According to Billboard, Travis Scott and other organizers are already facing a lawsuit filed by an injured concertgoer, Manuel Souza, who described the deadly incident as a "predictable and preventable tragedy". The lawsuit claims the disaster was the direct result of "a motivation for profit at the expense of concertgoers’ health and safety" and the "encouragement of violence."

In a statement to Variety, one of Manuel Souza's attorneys, Ryan S. MacLeod, said, "We, as proud Houstonians, are sickened by the horrific event that occurred on Friday night. Travis Scott has a history of inciting violence and putting concertgoers in perilous situations. He tweeted that once the performance was sold out, he would let the wild ones in. He, as well as those who sponsored and backed the performance, must accept responsibility for their abominable acts. We plan to hold them fully accountable by demonstrating that such conduct will not be accepted in our wonderful city. Over the following few days, we will be researching this tragedy in the hopes of shedding light on what happened and providing answers to the victims and their families. No one should ever be afraid to attend a performance. This must come to an end."

Kristian Paredes, an Austin citizen, has also filed a lawsuit against Travis Scott and the organizers, adding Drake to the list. Drake was a guest on-stage with Travis Scott, and Kristian Paredes described the occurrence as a catastrophe in which victims sustained terrible bodily injuries, some of which are considered permanent, according to the lawsuit.

"Live musical performances are designed to generate catharsis, not sorrow," said Thomas J. Henry, who represents Paredes. "A Many of these concertgoers had been looking forward to this event for months, and they deserved to enjoy themselves in a safe environment. Instead, it was a night of terror, injury, and death for them."

The people who lost their lives during a chaotic situation are, Brianna Rodriguez, Rudy Pena, Franco Patino, Jacob Jurinek, Danish Baig, Axel Acosta. 

According to reports, the crowd of 50,000 at NRG Park for the two-day event of the 2021 Astroworld Festival was one of the deadliest crowd-control disasters at a concert in many years. This incident also reminded people of the 1979 crush outside the doors of a show by The Who at the Hillsborough soccer stadium in Cincinnati that left almost 11 people dead and shook the entire nation.

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