Congress Investigates Astroworld Festival Tragedy

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The House Oversight Committee made the announcement on Wednesday and sent a letter addressed to the CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., Michael Rapino. “Recent reports raise serious concerns about whether your company took adequate steps to ensure the safety of the 50,000 concertgoers who attended Astroworld Festival,” the committee members wrote.

They suggested that there was a problem with the placement of the barricades, as well as a lack of warnings and signs of precaution, which made it difficult for concertgoers to escape the crowd surge. The committee also implied that the medical staff and security personnel present were "inexperienced or ill-equipped to deal with mass injuries."

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They continued, “Just hours before the November 5, 2021 performance, dozens of fans broke through an entrance at the festival, indicating that organizers may have not been prepared for the crowd that day." The committee also added that they are "concerned by reports about Live Nation's conduct following Astroworld Festival," considering Live Nation's "long line of other tragic events and safety violations."

In the past decade, Live Nation has also been fined or sued for a number of hazardous incidents. In 2018, someone was hospitalized after being struck by a metal post at one of their events. And in 2012, an employee died after falling through a false ceiling on stage without wearing any safety equipment or protection.

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