OVER 20 YOUNG who people fell ill at a Belfast gig last night are believed to have been suffering the effects of drink and drugs, said the PSNI.
A “major incident” was declared at the Odyssey Arena last night, where Dutch DJ Hardwell was performing, when dozens of people attended the SOS bus for treatment at the concert.
15 young people were taken to hospital for intoxication outside the arena, but police said no one is thought to be in serious condition. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said in total they dealt with about 40 people last night.
Odyssey Arena General Manager Adrian Doyle said in a statement last night the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service treated people outside the Odyssey Complex.
He stated:
It is our understanding that a number of patrons arriving at the Odyssey Arena to attend a concert by Dutch DJ act ‘Hardwell’ have required medical attention, having arrived intoxicated at the Odyssey Complex.
These patrons were not granted entry to the Odyssey Arena, and were treated by the Ambulance Service outside.
Seven patients have now been transferred to hospital by ambulance.
He added that despite people falling ill, the gig, which was attended by around 7,000 people, was continuing as normal inside the Odyssey Arena.
“As with any concert, the safety of our patrons is our absolute priority at all times and we are very confident that we have sufficient staff on site to maintain a safe and enjoyable concert,” he said.
This morning, deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness tweeted about the incident:
The PSNI state that police inquiries are ongoing.
DJ Hardwell is due to perform in Dublin tonight in the O2 Arena.
At around midnight last night, DJ Hardwell tweeted:
The gardaí told TheJournal.ie that it is too early to say if there will be any special arrangements for the Dublin gig following last night’s incident in the north, but said that it will be policed like any other major event.
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