At least eight dead and many injured in crush at Texas music festival
The fire department transported 17 people to hospitals, and 11 of those transported were in cardiac arrest
At least eight people were killed and many were injured in a crush when fans surged toward the stage during the opening night of the Astroworld music festival on Friday in Houston, officials said.
Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña confirmed the casualty figures at an early morning news conference outside NRG Park.
Peña said that at around 9pm the crowd that had gathered for a performance by rapper Travis Scott began to push toward the front of the stage, causing panic and injuries.
People began to fall unconscious, and the mayhem escalated until 9:38 pm when a "mass casualty incident" was triggered, he said.
The fire department transported 17 people to hospitals, and 11 of those transported were in cardiac arrest.
It was not yet clear what caused the disaster.
"I think it's very important that none of us speculate. Nobody has all the answers tonight," Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said. "If you don't have facts, if you don't have evidence, I'm not going to speak against that. We have hurting families out here."
Live Nation, the event organizer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
