Two dead after suspected drug overdose at music festival: police

Two people died, a dozen more were hospitalized and hundreds others sought medical assistance after suspected drug overdoses at a music festival in Sydney, Australia, the police said.

A 23-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman died on Saturday after collapsing at the Defqon.1 festival, the police said. Two of the 13 hospitalized people remain in critical condition, while about 700 sought assistance on site.

The police has charged 10 people with drug supply offences, including two teenagers who allegedly carried 120 capsules to the festival, held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre.

In 2015, a 26-year-old man died while attending the festival and in 2013 a 23-year-old man died, both of suspected drug overdose.

The organizers of the dance, trance and techno annual music festival, held in Australia since 2009, say on their website that the festival has a zero-tolerance policy on illegal drugs.

“We want to make you aware that the use of illicit substances carries a range of health risks including the possibility of death, and is strictly forbidden at this event,” Defqon.1 says it in its statement.

The organizers, Q-Dance Australia, part of the Dutch event organizer Q-Dance, were not immediately available to comment.

Reporting by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Himani Sarkar