Drake breaks silence on Astroworld tragedy

 Grammy-winning rapper Drake, who made a surprise appearance during rapper Travis Scott's performance at Astroworld Festival in Houston on Friday, released his first statement on Monday regarding the November 5 tragedy.

Eight people died and many others were injured at the concert. The second night of the festival was cancelled following the tragedy.

Drake took to Instagram to express his grief and offer his condolences to the families of the victims.

"I've spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this devastating tragedy," the rapper began his post.

"I hate resorting to this platform to express an emotion as delicate as grief but this is where I find myself. My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering," he added.

"I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can. May God be with you all," he concluded.

As per E! News, several concertgoers have filed lawsuits against Scott, as well as the event's organisers. One concertgoer, Kristian Paredes, named Drake in a lawsuit that also named Scott, Live Nation and Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation, citing negligence.

According to the lawsuit obtained by the outlet, Drake allegedly "came on stage alongside Travis Scott and helped incite the crowd," and "the crowd became chaotic and a stampede began leaving eight dead and dozens including Kristian Paredes severely injured."

A spokesperson for Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation and venue NRG Park shared a statement to E! News that read, "Because of pending litigation and ongoing investigations, we are unable to comment."

A day after the Astroworld show, Scott said in a statement posted to Twitter that he was "absolutely devastated by what took place last night."

The incident took place when the Astroworld crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage, causing panic and injuries, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena said during a press conference following the tragic event.

He added that the festival's on-site medical units were "quickly overwhelmed" following the crowd surge.

Houston Fire Department's public information officer Asuncion Cortez said in a statement released to E! News, "During the festivities up until the end of the festival, approximately 300 people were treated on-site for minor injuries."

Referring to the tragedy as a "mass casualty incident," he added, "Seventeen patients were transported to area hospitals, 12 of those patients were transported by HFD units."

The case is still being investigated. It was later reported that Scott would be providing refunds for anyone who bought tickets to Astroworld. Variety reported that Scott will also no longer be headlining this weekend's Day N Vegas Festival.

Scott has offered to cover funeral costs for those killed during the devastating incident.