EL TIEMPO learned that in the last hours a second death was confirmed derived from the abuse of narcotic substances during the electronic music festival Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) which found its first headquarters in South America in Medellín.
After the death of 23-year-old Costa Rican, Ismael Gerardo Méndez Huertasregistered at dawn on Saturday at the Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital, to which he was transferred after presenting respiratory problems resulting from an overdose during the first night of the EDC, it was learned that a second foreigner lost his life for similar reasons.
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Second date of the EDC festival at the Atanasio Girardot in Medellín. Photo:EDC.
It is about Ajay Bhatnagar, a 50 year old citizenoriginally from England and living in the United States for decades.
This individual with Asian roots He was a renowned oncologist, specialist in prostate cancer treatment through low-dose radiation therapies.
Bhatnagar was on Sunday in one of the seven stages that were set up in the Atanasio Girardot Sports Unit and which welcomed more than 90,000 people during the two days of the event, when had health complications.
In the middle of this incidental episode, the Englishman, a native of London, He was transferred to the El Rosario Clinicin the El Tesoro sector, where was hospitalized in an emergency for your attention.
At the care center, Bhatnagar remained hospitalized for several hours, until finally, between 5 and 6 pm on Monday, October 12, passed away.
The preliminary report from the authorities shows that the toxicological tests that were performed at the oncologist They tested positive for substances such as cocaine, amphetamines and alcohol.
Bhatnagar, who was married to a 51-year-old woman and who was staying at the Haven hotel, located in the Provenza sector, was left at the disposal of the forensic authorities to advance the corresponding processes prior to the repatriation of his body.
Renowned oncologist
Ajay Bhatnagar. Photo:THE TIME.
As anticipated, Bhatnagar’s professional profile was broad and placed him as one of the most recognized oncologists of the United States.
In 2002, co-founded the Prostate Cancer Institute from the state of Arizona, where he worked as a radiation therapist focused on the application of low dose brachytherapy. It is one of the most effective treatments for localized cancer in terms of cure rate.
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the english He did his postgraduate degree in Radiotherapy at the University of Pittsburgh, where he also earned his MBA. Besides, graduated with honors in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Bhatnagar, who had more than 20 years of experience behind him, was selected as a distinguished member of the special edition of the Best Doctors in America of the National Registry of that country, in 2023.
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The first victim
The consumption of psychoactive substances at electronic music festivals is a common factor. In that sense, one of the members of the medical team that was providing their services inside the EDC festival in Medellín revealed to EL TIEMPO that there were dozens of cases of poisoning due to substance use. Furthermore, he pointed out that there were multiple transfers to healthcare centers for the same reason.
The first official victim derived from substance use at the festival was Ismael Gerardo Méndez Huertas, a 23-year-old Costa Rican. According to the official report of the Metropolitan Police of the Aburrá Valley, at around 10:30 at night, the foreigner would have been found in one of the festival spaces, semi-conscious and having difficulty breathing.
The medical teams of the electronic music festival, which expected a participation of more than 90,000 people during the two days of the event, were alerted to the incident and They provided first aid to Méndezat the same time that they managed his transfer to a healthcare center in the city.
EL TIEMPO established that Méndez had professional experience as an interpreter and account agent in call centers, and who He was a native of Desamparadosa canton of San José, in Costa Rica.
The young man was transferred to an emergency from the Atanasio Girardot Sports Unit to the Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital, where He was admitted at 11:15 p.m. on Saturday.
Ismael Gerardo Méndez Huertas. Photo:THE TIME.
According to the preliminary report from the authorities, the doctors at Pablo Tobón Uribe reported that Méndez had been admitted for an alleged overdose. For several hours, the doctors carried out the corresponding procedures to try to stabilize the foreigner; however, Méndez died in the first hours in the early morning of this Sunday, October 11 due to respiratory failure.
EL TIEMPO had access to the official report issued by the Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital in relation to the death of the foreigner. It reads: “Arrive at our emergency department on October 10, 2026, at approximately 11:30 pm, in critical condition and with status epilepticus. He had findings that suggested possible poisoning. The patient, upon admission, had a cardiorespiratory arrest; Our emergency team performed a first resuscitation, managing to partially stabilize him; However, severe metabolic complications of his condition again led to a second cardiopulmonary arrest which, despite all resuscitation efforts by our emergency team, unfortunately the patient does not succeed and dies being 00:08 on October 11, 2026″.
This medium knew exclusively that Méndez arrived at the Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital in the company of at least three people, all women. During the interview conducted by the authorities and doctors at the healthcare center, these people confirmed that they had consumed ‘tusi’ (2CB), popper and MDMAin addition to other substances.
NICOLAS TAMAYO ESCALANTE
Journalist from Nación, in Medellín.
