Astroworld Festival: Kylie Jenner under fire for social media post showing ambulance trying to reach victims

David Taintor
·4 min read
Travis Scott performs at Astroworld on Friday 5 November 2021. (Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
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Kylie Jenner, the reality star and beauty mogul, has come under fire for posting an Instagram story of an ambulance attempting to make its way through the massive Astroworld crowd, after authorities confirmed at least eight people were killed in a crush of chaos at the music festival overnight.

Jenner, who is expecting a second child with rapper Travis Scott, was at the concert along with the celebrity couple’s first child, Stormi. Jenner posted the video to her 280 million Instagram followers on Friday evening, showing an ambulance attempting to part the crowd at the Houston-based music festival. The footage appeared to still be live on her Instagram page as of Saturday morning.

The video was met with swift backlash, with many calling the move tasteless.

“Omg i literally can’t, kylie posted an instagram story of the concert and you can CLEARLY SEE THE PARAMEDICS TRYING TO GET THROUGH LIKE WTF,” one Twitter user wrote.

“I know it’s not her fault, but Kylie Jenner storying this video at #ASTROWORLDFest as a literal EMT car rolls thru the crowd as the show continues on is so incredibly dystopian,” another person wrote.

“Kylie Jenner posting an instagram story at astroworld as a medic car is transporting bodies something is wrong with that woman,” said one user.

According to officials, some 50,000 people were in attendance when the crowd began to rush towards the stage during Travis Scott’s set shortly after 9pm on Friday evening.

The livestream of the event, the rapper appeared to pause his performance while looking out in confusion as an ambulance pulled into the venue.

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña described the event as a “mass casualty” incident, telling reporters: “This is a tragic night. We had at least eight confirmed fatalities tonight and we had scores of individuals that were injured here in this event.

Officials reported that 17 people were taken to hospital, including 11 who were in cardiac arrest, while some 300 people were treated for more minor injuries, including cuts and bruises, at a temporary field hospital in NRG Park.

Shortly after people began suffering from injuries, festival organiser Live Nation called off the event and cancelled the second and final day of the concert, which would have featured artists including SZA, Bad Bunny and 21 Savage. Live Nation was not immediately available for comment.

While identification of those who were injured and killed in the event is ongoing, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo told reporters that some of the victims who were transported to hospital by ambulance were “as young as 10 years old”.

She urged anyone who was missing a family member who had attended the festival to come to the Wyndam Houston Hotel, at 8686 Kirby, where Houston Police have established an information and reunification centre.

This mass casualty incident marks the most deaths at an American concert since a nightclub fire in Rhode Island killed 100 people in 2003.

Additional reporting by Celine Wadhera.

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