Eight dead after crowd surge at Travis Scott concert

Eight people have been killed following a crowd surge during a Travis Scott concert on Friday night.

According to local police officials, panic broke out while the rapper was performing as part of his Astroworld Festival, held at the NRG Park in Houston, Texas.

There have been at least eight confirmed deaths, with approximately 300 others injured.

"We had at least eight confirmed fatalities tonight and we had scores of individuals that were injured at this event. We had an attendance of approximately 50,000," Houston fire chief Samuel Peña told reporters. "What we do know, is that at approximately 9.15pm, the crowd began to compress toward the front of the stage. That caused some panic and it started causing some injuries. People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it caused additional panic."

Peña urged people who had not heard from their family members to head to the Wyndham Houston Hotel.

Scott has not yet commented on the tragic incident. However, a representative for the Astroworld Festival issued a statement on Twitter, confirming that Saturday's event was cancelled.

"Our hearts are with the Astroworld family tonight, especially those we lost and their loved ones," they wrote. "We are focused on supporting local officials however we can. As authorities mentioned in their press conference earlier, they are looking into a series of cardiac arrests that took place. If you have any relevant information on this, please reach out to @HoustonPolice. Thank you to our partners at Houston Police Department, Fire Department, and NRG Park for their response and support."