Travis Scott said he's 'absolutely devastated' after 8 people died during his Astroworld Festival in Houston

• Rapper Travis Scott said Saturday he was "absolutely devastated" after eight people died at his Astroworld Festival in Texas.
• The incident occurred when the crowds surged while Scott performed on Friday night.

Travis Scott on Saturday said he was "absolutely devastated" after eight people died and hundreds were injured at his Astroworld Festival in Houston.

"I'm absolutely devastated by what took place last night," Scott wrote in a post to Twitter. "My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival."

As Insider previously reported, the crowd neared 50,000. At around 9:30 p.m. on Friday it compressed toward the stage while Scott was performing at NRG Park, according to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena.

The 29-year-old rapper said he was "committed to working" with the Houston community to "heal and support the families in need."

-TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) November 6, 2021

Scott said that the Houston Police Department, which is investigating the incident, had his "total support as they continued to look into the tragic loss of life."

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

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

In total, Pena said 17 people were taken to hospitals, 11 of whom were in cardiac arrest.

According to NBC DFW, more than 300 people were treated at the scene at a field hospital set up at the venue. The youngest injured person was 10 years old, according to the report.