We’re starting to hear more from those that survived the chaos at the Astroworld music festival in Houston where a surging crowd killed eight people. And we’re learning more about those who died, including a North Texan who is being hailed a hero. Mirza “Danish” Baig was engaged and would have celebrated his 28th birthday this week.
A 27-year-old from Euless is among the eight people who died when the crowd rushed toward the stage during a Travis Scott concert at the Astroworld Festival in Houston on Friday.
Danish Baig died trying to save his fiancée from being crushed at an outdoor concert festival in Houston, his family said.
Basil Baig on Sunday said his brother was “the most amazing person” just minutes after burying the 27-year old and less than 48 hours after the deadly incident at NRG Park in Houston.
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Baig attended the concert with his brother and called for justice for those who were killed and injured, saying it was an avoidable tragedy.
“You go to a concert to have fun you don’t go to a concert to die,” Baig said.
Baig said he wanted all entities associated with the planned two-day festival, from the concert promoter to the artists to the venue, to “be held accountable.”
“They were chanting to stop the event,” Baig said through tears. “Nobody stopped the event. We need to bring awareness to this because this is not how you handle things, this is not how you do it.”
Baig said shortly after Travis Scott took the stage around 9 p.m. Friday, the crowd began to surge toward the stage, leading to multiple people being crushed. He said his brother Danish was trying to help free his fiancée from the surging crowd when he became pinned underneath.
Astroworld Festival
“My brother was trying to save her and he did,” Baig said. “He saved her and it cost him his life.”
"I lost the love of my life and I have so much I want to say but I cannot put it into words at this time," Danish Baig's fiance Olivia Swingle wrote in a public Facebook post. "My baby, my love gave his life to save mine and I will spend the rest of my life making sure he gets the justice he deserves. I would not be here today if it was not for him, he is a hero and the world needs to know his story."
An estimated 50,000 people attended the festival on Friday.
Gabe Casey, a freshman at Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, said he traveled to the festival with a friend from Arkansas.
On Sunday, upon returning home, the 14-year old said he never wants to attend another music festival.
“I was scared for my life because I got pushed down. And I was getting trampled,” Casey said. “It just replays over and over in my head. I couldn’t sleep the past two nights.”
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