Tragedy struck over the weekend after it was reported that 8 people who attended rapper Travis Scott’s Astroworld died in a crowd of chaos fueled with panic and distress. However, further cases of severe injury are being reported, with one of the most recent involving a 9-year-old fan who is reportedly in a coma.
Also read:8 people die in crowd surge at US festival, Travis Scott’s Astroworld
Roughly 300 people were left injured with cuts and bruises and 11 people were taken to hospital, dealing with cardiac arrest in addition to the 8 people who lost their lives. 50 000 people had attended what was meant to be a festival of celebration and unity through hip-hop in Houston Texas.
It has been reported that Ezra Blout, a 9- year-old boy is in critical condition, lying in a coma after being “kicked, stepped on, and trampled,” as well as “nearly crushed to death,” according to the lawsuit his family is placing against Travis Scott.
According to BuzzfeedNews, the 9-year-old is believed to be the youngest victim in the disaster. He sustained severe damage to his brain, kidney and liver.
Blout had attended the concert with his father. As the New York Post reports, he was reportedly on his father’s shoulders when “a massive crowd crush erupted.” This crowd crush, or injection of mayhem that stirred from people trying to get to the front of the crowd area – saw a snowball effect of distress and panic as a stampede ensued.
Blout’s father reportedly couldn’t breathe from all the pressure being applied to him, as the New York Post writes in citing his grandfather, and as a result, the father passed out. This was when the little boy fell off his shoulders and into the crowd.
Now, Blout is in critical condition.
Why wasn’t the concert stopped?
According to the BBC, Houston fire chief Samuel Peña has reiterated that the concert should’ve been stopped sooner.
Reports have surfaced noting that Scott did attempt to ‘pause’ the concert several times. In an official video addressing the Astroworld tragedies, Scott expressed that he was devasted, adding that he was not aware of how severe things had gotten during the set.
As the BBC notes, “In footage from the concert, he can be seen interrupting his performance to ask for help for a fan who had passed out. But in another video, he asks: “Who asked you to stop? Y’all know what y’all came to do – chase me, let’s go.”
Scott’s concerts are known for being famously rowdy – something he is used to and fans expect. However, from the rapper’s perspective, being able to make out the full severity of the situation appears to have been somewhat tricky.
“Any time I could make out, you know, anything that’s going on, you know, I just stopped my show and, you know, helped them get the help they need,” he said.
Kylie Jenner on the other hand is making it clear that neither she nor Scott were aware of the deaths until after the concert.
“I want to make it clear we weren’t aware of any fatalities until the news came out after the show and in no world would have continued filming or performing,” she wrote.
As for other celebrities who have expressed their condolences, Drake has reached out, expressing that: “My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering. I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can. May God be with you all.”
Picture: Insagram @travisscott/ anothermagazine