The officials announced a criminal investigation after a tragic incident at a Travis Scot’s concert on Friday. Eight people lost their lives, and more than 20 were injured when the crowd at this year’s Houston music festival instantly charged toward the stage.
Around 50,000 People Were Attending the Astroworld Festival at NRG Park in Houston
People started to move forward toward the stage while they were waiting for the concert to start. Unfortunately, they were pushing people in the front into the fence and leaving them little room to move and breathe.
Witnesses state that there was a total security collapse at the location. In their words, the crowd at the two-day event that started on Friday was “out of control” before the show even started.
Around 50,000 people have attended the festival, while the venue could have held 200,000. The city officials limited the attendance to minimize risks. Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said that the tragedy wasn’t caused by the number of visitors but by inadequate crowd control.
The Astroworld Promoter Has Had Similar Incidents in the Past, but None with Such Tragic Consequences
Live Nation Entertainment, the largest live music promoter in the world, was in charge of promoting the festival. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration records show that it was fined for at least two employee accidents in 2011 and 2019.
The company was also sued for injuries suffered by one of the Gwen Stefany concert visitors in 2016. Numerous lawsuits never make it to trial and it was the same case here as this lawsuit was settled out of court.
The Houston Police and Fire Department Will Conduct the Investigation
Houston police and fire department officials stated that their investigation will include reviewing video material from security cameras and video clips taken by visitors.
They also plan to review the event’s security plan and permits issued to organizers to determine whether they were accurately followed.
