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At least eight dead in crush at US music festival
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 city in the US state of Texas, officials said.
Aerial images of NRG park earlier in the day showed large crowds gathering to gain access to the concert.
Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña confirmed the casualty figures at an early morning news conference outside NRG Park.
Peña said that at around 9 p.m. 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.
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.
Live Nation, the event organizer, and Astroworld did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A crowd of 50,000 showed up for the two-day event, Peña said. The second day of the festival has been canceled.