The Electric Zoo music festival’s last day was cancelled after several festival goers were hospitalized and two died.
The hospitalizations and deaths are said to be drug related, specifically MDMA, CBS News reports. In light of the deaths, New York City officials wanted the festival to end early.
The city said, “The Electric Zoo organizers have worked with city officials to reduce health risks at this event, but in view of these occurrences, the safest course is to cancel the remaining day of the event.”
Musical acts Diplo, Avicii, Sebastian Ingrosso and David Guetta, set to perform on Sunday were cancelled.
The two festival goers who died were identified as 23-year-old Jeffrey Russ from Rochester, N.Y. and Olivia Rotondo, 20, from Providence, R.I.
Made Event, founders of Electric Zoo, released a statement saying, “The founders of Electric Zoo send our deepest condolences to the families of the two people who passed away this weekend. Because there is nothing more important to us than our patrons, we have decided … that there will be no show today.”
According to Fox News, Dr. Steven Garner of New York Methodist Hospital said, “You’ve got a big problem if you’re taking this drug on a hot day, you’re going to become dehydrated, your heart is going to start racing. You may have convulsions, you may have a heart attack and you may get a stroke.”
The Electric Zoo music festival has been held during Labor Day weekend since 2009.
image: Wikimedia Commons
