New Victim Loses Her Life After Astroworld Tragedy

HOUSTON, TX –– The death toll of the Astroworld Festival surge has risen to nine as yet another victim loses their life.

According to family members, 22-year-old Bharti Shahani succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday night. Shahani attended the festival with her sister, Namarata Shahani, and cousin Mohit Bellani.

In tears, Namarata remembers her older sister asking if she was alight as the crowd began to surge around them –– this would be the last thing her sister ever said to her. In the chaos that ensued Namarata and Bellani lost track of their sister and cousin and were reunited in the emergency room.

As Shahani was transported to the hospital she suffered two heart attacks and was immediately placed on a ventilator after arriving to the hospital.

Bellani told local media outlets he initially believed his cousin was suffering from dehydration. As the first to arrive at the emergency room, he was surprised to find his cousin unconscious and with tubes down her throat as a result of her brain stem being swollen from an extended loss of oxygen.

“I just like immediately shut down, like completely, that should never happen to anyone, especially not at a concert, it’s a celebration, right?” said Bellani. “It shouldn’t be—like people shouldn’t be dying.”

Earlier reports indicated Shahani had no brain activity and her chances of survival were nearly non-existent.

“It feels like we’re still living in this nightmare that’s not ending,” said Namarata. “Words cannot describe how I’m feeling right now, like I cannot put into words what Bharti meant to me because it feels like she meant everything to me. I’ve never known what it feels like to be without her.”

“She was like an angel for us, she was the head of the family," said Sunny Shahani, her father. “[She was] always calm, always listens and she had a bright future.”

Shahani was a senior at Texas A&M University studying electronics systems engineering and was on track to graduate next spring.

A GoFundMe was created to help the family cover the medical expenses as Shanani spent nearly a week on a ventilator.

According to the Shahani family, they have not heard from Travis Scott or his representatives. Two days after the incident the rapper said he was "devasted" and would reach out to the victim's families and pledged to cover funeral costs.