Houston festival deaths: Police searching for clues in stampede at Travis Scott event

The 2021 Astroworld Festival in Texas on Friday turned into a chaotic event as eight people lost their lives and many more were injured in the commotion. The tragic incident occurred during a performance by rapper Travis Scott. Houston Police revealed that they will be probing the video footage of the concert, questioning witnesses, and evaluating concert procedures to figure out the reason behind the death of 8 people from the stampede at the Houston music event.

At the music festival, the crowd suddenly rushed toward the stage when the rapper was performing, pressing and pushing the audience so intensely that they could not breathe or extend their arms. According to reports, due to the immense compression and suffocation among the crowd, several people passed out and some suffered cardiac arrest. Following the event, some of the audiences were taken to the hospital for treatment. 

Houston Police Chief reveals there are allegations of 'injecting drugs' 

According to ABC News, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner revealed that his agency has launched a criminal investigation by homicide and narcotics officers after unfounded accusations were resurfaced that someone in the audience "was injecting other people with drugs." 

Chief Finner added that such an accusation was received from a security officer who "felt a prick in his neck" while attempting to hold someone and then fainted. He was later found and treated with an opioid antidote called NARCAN. Furthermore, medical professionals are reported to have seen a needle mark on the officer's neck, according to Finner. Though it is still unclear for officials to believe whether such an event contributed to the huge inflow, according to ABC News, but Chief Finner assured that police will "get to the bottom of it." 

Further, the Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña informed that an ambulance carried 17 individuals to the hospital, 11 of whom had a cardiac arrest. As per the Associated Press, approximately 300 people were treated at a neighbouring medical facility. Several others were seen providing CPR on the unconscious victims inside the event in footage that went viral on social media. 

Injured concertgoer files lawsuit against Travis Scott

Meanwhile, one of the concertgoers who was hurt at the Astroworld Music Festival has filed a lawsuit against Travis Scott and the event's administrators for failing to prevent the tragic deaths. As per a copy of the complaint acquired by The Hill on Sunday, Manuel Souza described the event as an expected and preventable disaster. 

Souza alleges that the crowd influx was a "motivation for profit at the expense of concertgoers' health and safety". In a statement to The Hill, Souza's attorneys said Travis Scott had told the organisers to let in more audience after the concert was sold out. 

(Image: AP)