Eight people died in a crowd at the festival in Houston – PRAVDA.sk

At least eight people died in a crush at a music festival in Houston, USA. According to the ABC station, many were injured on the spot. The concerts were canceled after the tragedy.

ČTK,
TASR

06.11.2021 09:14, updated: 09:46

A performance by rapper Travis Scott during a tragedy festival in Houston, USA.

The Astroworld festival was to take place from Friday to the present day in the NRP complex in Houston with 50,000 music fans.

Even before the start, a large number of people came to the gates and some tried to get inside prematurely. Chaos ensued, people broke through the gates and a crush ensued. According to Houston firefighters, five people were injured. Reuters reported that it is not yet clear what exactly happened.

According to the AP agency, which quoted the commander of the Houston fire brigade Samuel Pen, the main pressure of the fans came on Friday evening around 21:00 local time (today’s 3:00 CET), when they tried to get closer to the stage at the time of the rapper Travis Scott’s performance. They transported 17 patients to the hospital, 11 of whom had cardiac arrest. In addition, medics at the festival provided treatment to more than 300 people, CNN reports.

Police Chief Troy Finner said the concert was interrupted and the rest of the festival was canceled when it became clear that they were injured at the scene. The police have identified the entire complex as a possible crime scene and are investigating what exactly happened. Finner said it was early to say what caused the influx of spectators to the stage. He rejected any speculation and pointed out that many families are still looking for their loved ones. Finner also considers the afternoon crowd and the evening tragedy a separate incident.

Within minutes

For those looking for someone, a crisis location has been set up at the hotel. Police urged citizens not to call or come in person. “If you can’t find your children, you have to come there in person,” Finner said.

Houston Deputy Police Chief Larry Satterwhite said more than 300 police officers and more than 200 security personnel were on the scene. “When the first injuries appeared, we started resuscitation. It happened all at once. It all seemed to happen in just a few minutes. Suddenly people were lying on the ground and it looked like they had a cardiac arrest, “he said.

The festival is held annually, but was canceled last year due to the covidu-19 pandemic. Many fans were determined not to miss this year’s event. Sky2 at the NRP complex already recorded the ranks of people on Friday morning who wanted to be the first to start.