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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Lorraine King

Astroworld music festival: Death toll rises as woman, 22, dies from crush injuries

The death toll in the Astroworld Festival tragedy has risen nine after a 22-year-old college student died from injuries she sustained in the crush.

A lawyer for the family of Bharti Shahani said she died from "horrific injuries" sustained at the rap concert on Wednesday.

Bharti's tragic death comes 24 hours after medics said she had shown no brain activity as she was fought for her life on a ventilator after being caught in the stampede in Texas on Friday.

Her cousin said they had to "fight to come up to the top and breathe".

A total pf nine people aged between 14 and 27 have now died and hundreds injured during the festival in NRG Park in Houston, launched by rapper Travis Scott.

Around 20,000 people attended the music festival (facebook.com/TrevorWrestledABearOnce)

Shahani had attended the 50,000-strong event with her sister Namrata Shahani and her cousin Mohit Bellani, but they were separated as the crowds swelled.

Bellani told ABC13 : "Once one person fell, people started toppling like dominos. It was like a sinkhole. People were falling on top of each other.

"There were like layers of bodies on the ground, like two people thick. We were fighting to come up to the top and breathe to stay alive."

Rapper Travis Scott (AFP via Getty Images)

Shahani was given PCR by paramedics while they took her to Houston Methodist Hospital, the news outlet reports.

"They took us to her room, and she was bleeding and on a ventilator. Me and my wife were too shocked. We can't even stand in there," her father, Sunny Shahani, said.

John Hilgert is the youngest victim (MarucciiEliteTX/Facebook)

Among those killed in the crowd control disaster was Danish Baig, 27 and who was crushed while trying to save a relative during the stampede.

His death was confirmed by his brother, Basil, who shared a photograph of him via Facebook and branded him a “beautiful soul” and commended him for his “courageous act”.

The youngest victim has been named as 14-year-old John Hilgert

College student Jacob Jurinek (Linkedin)

The teenager was described as a "loveable" baseball fanatic who was "one of the nicest human beings.

A 23-year-old woman was another fatal victim of the crush. Madison Dubiski's younger brother TY was trying to pull her to safety when she died and her body was dragged back into the crowd.

Another victim identified after the incident was a Southern Illinois University in Carbondale college junior, Jacob Jurinek.

University of Dayton student Franco Patino (Facebook)

A school chancellor described him as a "creative, intelligent young man, with a promising career in journalism and advertising".

University of Dayton student Franco Patino has also been confirmed as another of the victims – with the university releasing a statement about the 21-year-old’s death.

21-year-old Axel Acosta, a Washington college student, also died and was described by the institution as 'a young man with a vibrant future.'

Meanwhile, People confirmed that 16-year-old dancer Brianna Rodriguez was another of the eight killed in the tragedy.

And 23-year-old Rodolfo 'Rudy' Peña was confirmed as another one of the victims by the Laredo Morning Times.

Nine-year-old Ezra Blount is fighting for his life after he fell his dad’s shoulders when the stamped erupted.

The youngster had suffered a cardiac arrest and according to his family he is now in a coma.

Ezra Blount is fighting for his life (Blount Family)

While the official cause of the tragedy remains under investigation, witnesses reported a "mob mentality" may have led to a crowd surge and a crush.

Security protocol at the concert is also being investigated, with the city's mayor Sylvester Turner saying it was too early to state whether it was adequate.

He said: "We had more security over there than we had at the World Series games."

There were reportedly 505 event security staff members, with 91 armed private security and 76 officers from the Houston Police Department.

Travis, meanwhile, has pledged to pay for the funeral costs of those he died in the tragedy.

He will also partner with BetterHelp to provide free mental health services to all those affected by the tragedy.

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