The United States Congress are due to launch an official, bipartisan investigation into the Astroworld Festival, where ten people were crushed to death in a horrifying crowd surge.
The Washington Post report that the House Oversight and Reform Committee are investigating the event’s promoter, Live Nation, over the Houston tragedy which occurred last month.
The investigation was summed up in a three-page letter and brought to Live Nation’s CEO Michael Rapino on Wednesday by the Committee’s Chairwoman, Carolyn B. Maloney, and three other bipartisan members.
The Committee’s investigation will look into the days leading up to the festival, and more specifically, what Live Nation’s planning and logistics looked like in the lead up.
It is also due to look into when and how the crowd-control measures failed, with the Committee suspecting the measures had already begun to fail as early as the start of the day. They are also looking to map out a timeline from when the deadly crowd crush began.
Ten people, aged 9 to 27, died as a result of the horrifying crowd surge. At least 25 people were hospitalised as a result.
A representative for Live Nation responded to The Washington Post’s request for comment, with a spokesperson for the company saying:
“Safety is core to live events and Live Nation engages in detailed security planning in coordination with local stakeholders including law enforcement, fire and EMT professionals. We are heartbroken by the events at Astroworld and our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the victims.”
More on this story as it develops.
