8 dead, hundreds injured at Astroworld fest

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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Eight radical died Friday nighttime and hundreds of others were injured during the opening nighttime of a fashionable play euphony festival astatine NRG Park, authorities said.

It happened astatine the third-annual Astroworld Festival, a sold-out performance lawsuit featuring aggregate acts.

WATCH: Skeye13 shows aftermath of Astroworld Festival's wide casualty

The worst of the incidental began astir 9:15 p.m. erstwhile the assemblage of astir 50,000 concert-goers began to determination toward the beforehand of the stage, according to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña.

The Houston Fire Department volition beryllium holding a briefing Saturday astatine astir 3 p.m. to supply the nationalist with updates.

"The assemblage began to compress toward the beforehand of the stage, and radical began to panic," Peña said.

The presumption from SkyEye overhead Friday nighttime showed the dense constabulary and occurrence section enactment successful the country of the lawsuit arsenic organizers ended it early. The organizers, rapper Travis Scott and LiveNation, stopped the amusement erstwhile it was evident that aggregate radical were hurt, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner.

WATCH: ABC13 extended sum of the catastrophe astatine Astroworld Festival

While the astir deadly moments happened aft 9:30 p.m., Peña said much than 300 patients full had been treated astatine a tract infirmary since the lawsuit began, including radical who were wounded during the worst moments. While names and ages of the casualties weren't known, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said 1 of the victims was 10-years-old.

Houston Fire Department and Harris County medics transported 23 radical to hospitals, 17 of those patients were taken distant during the worst of the ordeal, according to Peña, who besides said CPR had to beryllium performed connected 11 of the victims. HFD had 55 units in-service for the festival, Peña said.

Festival laminitis Travis Scott, a rapper and Missouri City native, was joined connected signifier by Drake successful a astonishment quality arsenic the assemblage surged.

HPD Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite was on-duty astatine the festival on with 367 constabulary officers and 241 information officers. He gave his first-hand relationship during an aboriginal greeting property conference.

"Once we started having the wide casualty incident, they were starting CPR connected respective people, and it happened each astatine once," Satterwhite said. "It seemed similar it happened implicit the people of conscionable a fewer minutes. Suddenly, we had respective radical down connected the crushed experiencing immoderate benignant of cardiac apprehension oregon immoderate benignant of aesculapian episode."

Medical transports were already astatine the parkland for the multi-day festival, but unit was rapidly overwhelmed with injured people, authorities said.

Investigators were dispatched to hospitals Saturday greeting successful an effort to place the victims. The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office volition find however the 8 radical died.

The remainder of the weekend's planned performances were canceled, and the country is present a transgression country arsenic investigators enactment to find retired what precisely happened.

"At immoderate point, the amusement was stopped erstwhile the assemblage was surging," Finner said arsenic helium noted the event's promoters were cooperating with investigators.

WATCH: City and region leaders springiness update connected Astroworld Festival wide casualty incident

It wasn't yet wide what caused the deaths oregon injuries. Finner aboriginal Saturday changeable down immoderate aboriginal speculation astir the aggregate fatalities.

"There are a batch of rumors going around," Finner said. "We person hurting families retired here."

Organizers with Astroworld Festival released the pursuing connection aboriginal Saturday morning:

Our hearts are with the Astroworld Festival household contiguous - particularly those we mislaid and their loved ones. We are focused connected supporting section officials nevertheless we can. With that successful caput the festival volition nary longer beryllium held connected Saturday. As authorities mentioned successful their property league earlier, they are looking into the bid of cardiac arrests that took place. If you person immoderate applicable accusation connected this, delight scope retired to Houston Police. Thank you to our partners astatine the Houston Police Department, Fire Department, and NRG Park for their effect and support.

A reunification halfway was acceptable up astatine 8686 Kirby Drive adjacent the South Loop astatine the Wyndham Houston edifice for household members to link with their loved ones who whitethorn person attended the festival. The reunion determination is being staffed by unit from Houston Police, the Houston Fire Department and counselors, authorities said. City leaders urged household members to sojourn the determination if they haven't been successful interaction with their loved ones who attended the concert.

"If you're a relative, (and your) household subordinate was astatine this lawsuit and you person not spoken to this individual, we person units disposable to assist," Finner said.

Residents from extracurricular the Houston-area who haven't heard loved ones who attended the festival tin telephone 832-393-2991 oregon 832-393-2990.

While it was excessively aboriginal to cognize if the deaths oregon injuries were the effect of transgression activity, Finner said his section investigating immoderate possibilities.

"Until we find what happened, what caused the surge, we don't know," Finner said. "We volition find out. Is determination thing criminal? We don't know."

The deadly incidental came hours aft a monolithic assemblage stormed the perimeter of NRG Park, creating a chaotic concern for information unit and lawsuit staff. Finner said the 2 events were not related.

WATCH: HFD Chief Sam Pena speaks connected wide casualty astatine Astroworld Fest

Multiple fans were trampled Friday day arsenic hundreds rushed the event's perimeter, knocking down metallic detectors and a information screening area. It inactive wasn't wide Saturday if anyone suffered large injuries during the earlier incident.

WATCH: Crowd overtakes information checkpoint astatine Astroworld Festival

ABC13 Reporter Mycah Hatfield was adjacent the entranceway Friday day arsenic the mob approached, and said information unit were capable to determination immoderate radical distant from the entranceway earlier the assemblage overtook the gates.

The event's 100,000 tickets sold retired wrong an hr of going connected merchantability backmost successful May.

Travis Scott, the fashionable rapper and organizer, launched the Astroworld Festival successful 2018. Like astir different ample events, it was canceled successful 2020 owed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

WATCH: Travis Scott and Drake execute during the 2021 Astroworld Festival Friday nighttime wherever 8 radical died and hundreds were injured

ABC13 has reached retired to Live Nation Entertainment, the festival's promoter, and representatives for Travis Scott.

The rapper released the pursuing statement, expressing his heartache implicit the incidental connected Saturday morning:

"I'm perfectly devastated by what took spot past night. My prayers spell retired to the families and each those impacted by what happened astatine Astroworld Festival. Houston PD has my full enactment arsenic they proceed to look into the tragic nonaccomplishment of life. I americium committed to moving unneurotic with the Houston assemblage to heal and enactment the families successful need. Thank you to Houston PD, Fire Department and NRG Park for their contiguous effect and support. Love you all."

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