Photo credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

After a few days of mourning and reflection, Drake has finally spoken out following the events at the Astroworld festival in Houston on Friday evening which resulted in eight people tragically losing their lives and over 25 being hospitalized.

“I’ve spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this devastating tragedy,” the 35-year-old Canadian musician, who was performing as a ‘surprise guest’ at the festival which was founded by 30-year-old rapper Travis Scott back in 2018, wrote on social media.

“I hate resorting to this platform to express an emotion as delicate as grief but this is where I find myself,” Drake continued.

“My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering.

“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.”

It’s believed that the chaos at the festival ensued around 9pm during Travis Scott’s set after the crowd uncontrollably surged towards the stage.

According to reports, a lawsuit has been filed alleging that Travis Scott didn’t do anything to calm the crowd, and instead, allegedly made things worse by seemingly spurring them on.

Drake has also been named in the lawsuit, alongside the event organizers, as he allegedly “helped incite the crowd” but of course, he has not commented on these allegations yet.

Travis Scott, however, did comment on the allegations, saying that he had no idea what was happening in the crowd while he was performing…

“Anytime I can make out anything that’s going on, ya know, I stop the show and you know, help them get the help they need. I could just not imagine the severity of the situation,” he commented.

His girlfriend Kylie Jenner, who is pregnant with their second child, also commented, saying that neither she nor Travis were aware of any injuries or fatalities during the performance…

“I want to make it clear we weren’t aware of any fatalities until the news came out after the show and in no world would have continued filming or performing,” Kylie previously said, while Kim Kardashian added that Travis “cares so much about his fans and is truly devastated”.

As well as issuing refunds for the festival, Travis Scott stated that he would cover the funeral costs for the victims’ families…

“Travis remains in active conversations with the city of Houston, law enforcement and local first responders to respectfully and appropriately connect with the individuals and families of those involved,” read a statement.

“These are the first of many steps Travis plans on taking as a part of his personal vow to assist those affected throughout their grieving and recovery process.”