An Indian-origin student identified as Bharti Shahani has died due to injuries suffered at the Astroworld crowd stampede during a concert held at the NRG Park in Houston, Texas last week. Bharati had sustained severe brain damage during the chaos and passed away in hospital on Friday, bringing the total death count to 9.
Bharti, her sister Namratha and cousin Mohit Bellami had gone to see the concert on Friday, November 5 when the tragedy struck. She is survived by her parents Karishma and Sunny as well as her sibling. Bharti was due to graduate from Texas A&M college this spring.
"It was like a sinkhole. People were falling on top of each other. There were … layers of bodies on the ground, like two people thick. We were fighting to come up to the top and (to) breathe (and) stay alive," Bharti's cousin Mohit Bellami said of the violence which saw a packed crowd of almost 50,000 people trample over one another in a rush that pressed many against the barriers during the concert. Dozens were injured and more than 19 taken to the hospital due to suffering cardiac arrest.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday announced the formation of a concert safety task force that will convene members including music industry representatives, law enforcement and state agencies to issue recommendations on how to keep concerts safe. Meanwhile over 30 lawsuits have been filed against rapper Travis Scott and the organisers of the Astroworld festival for the deaths and chaos that occurred.
"Travis Scott and his team and everyone associated in the event should and will be held responsible. He [didn't] stop the show even with people chanting and to stop the show. He allowed it. This was a bloodbath and all of it is on his hands," said the brother of 27 year old Danish Baig who was also killed during th stampede.