HOME / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Bharti Shahani: Astroworld victim, 22, declared brain dead with ‘no chance’ of survival

Shahani, a Texas A&M University student, suffered a brain injury at the concert and has been in critical condition ever since

A university student who attended Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival last week was declared brain dead after succumbing to injuries she sustained during the horrifying crowd surge that claimed the lives of eight concertgoers.

22-year-old Bharti Shahani, a senior at Texas A&M University, suffered a brain injury at the concert over the weekend and has been in critical condition ever since. Her family told ABC13 Tuesday morning, November 9, that she is on a ventilator and they are determining what to do next. MEAWW previously reported how Scott and fellow rapper Drake attended a party after the main event, claiming they had no idea about the stampede.

RELATED ARTICLES

Live Nation: Astroworld Festival promoter previously sued, fined for safety violations

Axel Acosta: Astroworld victim, 21, was attending such an event for 'first time’

The 22-year-old attended the concert with her sister Namrata Shahani and her cousin Mohit Bellani, but lost each other during the crowd surge. "Once one person fell, people started toppling like dominos. It was like a sinkhole. People were falling on top of each other," Bellani told ABC13. "There were like layers of bodies on the ground, like two people thick. We were fighting to come up to the top and breathe to stay alive."

The victim was rushed to the Houston Methodist Hospital by ambulance as paramedics administered CPR en route. Namrata Shahani and Bellani had both lost their cell phones during the harrowing ordeal and couldn't locate Bharti. "Once we let go of her hand, the next time we saw her, we were in the ER," Namrata bemoaned.

Bharti and Namrata's parents went to NRG Park after learning about the tragedy. They subsequently rushed to multiple hospitals before eventually finding Bharti. "They took us to her room, and she was bleeding and on a ventilator. I and my wife were too shocked. We can't even stand in there," her father, Sunny Shahani, said. The victim is said to have sustained multiple heart attacks. "I think she lost oxygen for 10 minutes one time and seven minutes at another time," Bellani explained. "So her brain stem was swollen to like 90 percent almost."

Bharti had been studying electronics systems engineering at TAMU and was looking forward to graduating in the spring. She had already secured a summer internship and was well on her way to take over the family business after graduating, her father said. "The doctors, they say the chances of survival are nothing, which I have not even spoken to my wife until now. We keep saying we'll pray," Sunny said prior to Tuesday's heartbreaking news. "I request all of Houston to pray for her. Maybe the prayers might work as a miracle for her." While Bellani added, "I want people to understand what we experienced and to make sure nothing like this ever, ever happens to anyone ever again."

Meanwhile, Bharti's sister has set up a GoFundMe page to cover the embattled family's mounting medical expenses. "Bharti was critically injured during the Astroworld 2021 festival in Houston, Texas, and is currently in the ICU fighting for her life," Namrata wrote. "Our family remains by Bharti's side and are unable to work. We are raising funds to help cover mounting expenses during this strenuous time. Bharti is the light of our lives and we are all praying for her full and speedy recovery," she added.