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Criminal investigation launched after eight die at Travis Scott Astroworld Festival

Flowers left outside NRG Park where eight people died on Friday (Image: Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

POLICE in Houston, Texas have launched a criminal investigation after eight people died at the Astroworld music festival on Friday night.

The deaths are believed to have followed a crowd surge at NRG Park during a performance by rapper and event founder Travis Scott.

Among those who died were a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old, while the oldest was 27.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner (Image: Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

A further 25 people required hospital treatment, with 11 reportedly suffering cardiac arrest.

Houston police chief Troy Finner said they are also investigating reports that a security officer fell unconscious after being injected.

"This is now a criminal investigation that's going to involve our Homicide Division as well as Narcotics and we're going to get down to the bottom of it," said Chief Finner.

'Mass casualty incident'

The incident appeared to unfold at around 9.15pm when the crowd pressed towards the stage during Scott's headline performance.

Video shared online appeared to show a fan trying to alert a cameraman to what was going on in a bid to halt the show.

Scott himself reportedly stopped the show several times to ask security to help fans.

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena (Image: Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena said that emergency units were on the scene within two minutes of the "mass casualty incident" being declared.

"These injuries did not occur as people were trying to exit the venue," said Chief Pena.

He added: "What we are looking into is what caused the crowd surge, what led to the crowd surge and those incidents at the stage."

Injection claims

Chief Finner addressed the varying reports circulating on social media and reminded people to be respectful of the victims' families.

He said the investigation would follow the facts and evidence but did comment on reports that people were injected with drugs.

"I will tell you, one of the narratives was that some individual was injecting other people with drugs," said Chief Finner.

Event founder Travis Scott performing at Astroworld on friday night (Image: Rick Kern/Getty Images)

"We do have a report of a security officer, according to the medical staff that was out and treated him last night, that he was reaching over to restrain or grab a citizen and he felt a prick in his neck.

"When he was examined, he went unconscious, they administered Narcan, he was revived and the medical staff did notice a prick that was similar to a prick that you would get if somebody is trying to inject."

Narcan is an emergency treatment for opioid overdoses.