Eight dead, several injured at US rapper Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival

"The crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage, and that caused some panic, and it started causing some injuries," the Houston fire chief said.

Houston: Officials in Texas say at least eight people are dead and several others injured in a crowd surge at the Astroworld Festival. Compression of the crowd toward the stage occurred just after 9 PM Friday while rapper Travis Scott was performing, Houston Fire Chief told reporters at a news conference.

"The crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage, and that caused some panic, and it started causing some injuries," the fire chief said.

"People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic," he added.