Seven People in Comas Following Drug Overdose at Melbourne Music Festival

In a tragic turn of events at a dance music festival in Melbourne, seven attendees have been hospitalized and placed into medically-induced comas after overdosing on what is believed to be the illegal drug ecstasy (MDMA).

Critical Overdoses at Hardmission Festival

The mass overdose incident occurred at the Hardmission Festival, held at Flemington Racecourse, and unfolded over a span of four hours on Saturday. The severity of the situation prompted a significant emergency response.

Victims were transported to various hospitals, including Royal Melbourne, St Vincent's, Footscray, Sunshine, and The Austin, as paramedics worked to stabilize the critical cases. Danny Hill, from the Victorian Ambulance union, described many of the patients as critically unwell due to MDMA overdose.

A Dire Situation Handled by Paramedics

Paramedics resorted to inducing comas and inserting breathing tubes to manage the life-threatening effects of the overdoses. They called for additional support from across the city at roughly 10:30 PM to cope with the escalating emergency.

Online footage from the festival revealed potential drug-seeking behavior, with one attendee displaying the word 'Caps?' on their mobile phone, a term often associated with the solicitation of drugs in capsule form.

The festival, which saw temperatures reach up to 32 degrees Celsius, had participants dancing without shirts, and comments on social media hinted at the extreme heat. With the consequences of drug use remaining forefront, further details are forthcoming.

overdose, coma, festival