As the investigation into the Astroworld catastrophe continues, it has been concluded that all ten victims died from compression asphyxia.
According to the National Library of Medicine, compression asphyxia occurs when air is cut off from the body due to external pressure. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences officials ruled Thursday that the concertgoers all perished accidentally when the massive crowd surged forward, crushing them together. Only one of the deceased had illicit drugs in his system that contributed to his death.
The victims were identified as Rodolfo Peña, Danish Baig, Madison Dubiski, Franco Patino, Jacob Jurinek, John Hilgert, Axel Acosta, Briana Rodriguez, Bharti Shahani, and Ezra Blount, who was only 9-years-old.
On Wednesday, the concert stage at Houston’s NRG Park, where Astroworld took place, was finally removed after investigators spent weeks collecting mounds of evidence and photographs in the space. It is unclear if the stage will ever be replaced and re-opened for shows in the future.
The victim’s cause of death being released will likely intensify the mounting legal battle that Travis Scott and Live Nation face. The lawsuits are seeking billions in damages for the deceased and the hundreds of injured attendees.
Scott has recently unveiled a new effort aimed at improving concert safety. Along with the USCM, he will assemble a commission of government, healthcare, and public safety professionals to analyze emerging technology and solutions to prevent another tragedy from occurring.
