One man has died and six others were hospitalized after attending the Dreamstate music festival in Australia.
The New South Wales Police were patrolling the electronic music event at Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday (Feb. 7), when multiple festival-goers began experiencing what authorities described as “medical episodes,” according to TMZ.
The festival — dubbed online as the “ultimate trance and techno destination” — featured a lineup that included Paul van Dyk, Vini Vici, Gareth Emery, Ben Nicky and Giuseppe Ottaviani. A second day of the event was scheduled to take place at Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse on Sunday (Feb. 8).
The man who died at the scene in Sydney was reportedly in his 40s and had not been formally identified at press time. Six other people were hospitalized, with one person remaining in critical condition.
A report is being prepared for the coroner.
“A crime scene has been established, and police commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the New South Wales Police told People.
Investigators say the man may have suffered cardiac arrest possibly linked to a suspected drug overdose, and police are looking into whether multiple attendees experienced a mass drug overdose during the festival, according to 9News Australia.
During the festival, Dreamstate organizers shared a warning on its Instagram Story from VIC Health, noting that “high-dose MDMA capsules and pills are circulating in Victoria.”
Officials later confirmed there was no pill-testing facility available at the event, according to TMZ.
John Graham, Australia’s Minister for Music and the Night Time Economy, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that “there was no trial pill-testing facility available at the event.” But he added that a “safety action plan was in place” at the event and followed government rules.
“A range of harm reduction initiatives are in place at festivals, including support and health promotion workers, health messaging, free chilled water, misting fans, chill-out spaces and well-equipped medical services,” a NSW Health spokesperson told ABC.