Travis Scott’s deadly Astroworld Festival stampede was like ‘deadly Jenga game’ as 8 people die, witnesses say
WITNESSES have said the stampede at the Astroworld Festival was like a “deadly Jenga game” after eight people died.
The 50,000-strong crowd surged during rapper Travis Scott’s performance late Friday at the NRG Park in Houston.
Instagram user SeannaFaith claimed people in the crowd were “at the mercy of the wave” as the crush became tighter.
"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," she wrote. "It was like watching a Jenga tower topple. Person after person was sucked down... You were at the mercy of the wave."
"We begged security to help us, for the performer to see us and know something was wrong," she added. "None of that came, we continued to drown."
Officials in Texas said the crowd began to "compress towards the front of the stage" at around 9.15pm, sparking panic.
They transported 17 people to hospitals with 11 of them in cardiac arrest.
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It is feared hundreds more are injured.
Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena said at a press briefing Friday: “We had at least eight confirmed fatalities today. We had scores of individuals injured at this event.”
He added that a "mass casualty incident" was triggered at 9.38pm and investigations are ongoing.
Chief Pena told reporters: "At approximately 9.15pm the crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage and that caused some panic and it started causing some injuries.
"People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic."
Read our Travis Scott Astroworld Festival live blog for the very latest news and updates...
In a statement on Saturday, Travis Scott said he was "absolutely devastated" by the huge loss of life.
The rapper wrote: “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 Astroworld Festival."
He added that police in Houston have his "full support" as they continue to investigate and thanked the emergency services for their quick response.
The show was called off shortly after the horror crush and the second day of the event was also canceled.
"Our hearts are with the Astroworld Festival family tonight - especially those we lost and their loved ones," organizers of the event wrote on their social media pages.
"We are focused on supporting local officials," they added.
Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite said the tragedy "all happened all at once".
He said: "It seemed like it just happened... over the course of just a few minutes.
"Suddenly we had several people down on the ground, experiencing some type of cardiac arrest or some type of medical episode."
According to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, organizers paused the concert when they realized how many people had been hurt.
"At some point, the show was stopped when the crowd was surging," Mr Finner said.
He added that it was too early to determine what caused the crowd surge and urged people not to speculate.
A medical examiner will investigate the cause of deaths at the festival.
'OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN'
Lina Hidalgo, the Harris County judge, told KHOU-TV of Houston: "Our hearts are broken.
"People go to these events looking for a good time, a chance to unwind, to make memories.
"It’s not the kind of event you go to where you expect to find out about fatalities."
Drake had joined Scott on-stage at the concert - which was live-streamed by Apple Music.
Scott stopped a number of times during his 75-minute performance when he spotted fans in distress near the front of the stage.
He reportedly asked security to make sure they were all okay and get them out of the crowd safely.
The rapper's pregnant girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, was watching his set - sharing backstage videos and clips of the crowd on Instagram before the tragedy.
There is no suggestion Kylie was injured.
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A reunification center was set up at the Wyndham Houston Hotel at 8686 Kirby.
People searching for loved ones can also call 832-393-2991 or 832-393-2990.
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