2 women dead from suspected drug overdoses at California music fest

POMONA, Calif. (AP) — Two women died from suspected drug overdoses at a popular weekend music festival, prompting calls for an investigation and concern over the use of narcotics at youth-oriented events.

HARD Summer was previously held at the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area near South El Monte and at the Los Angeles State Historic Park near Chinatown. The identities of the two teenagers have not been disclosed to the public yet.

The 2 have been pronounced lifeless on the hospital late Saturday.

A 19-year-old female was found unresponsive on the event grounds and transported to Pomona Valley Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 8:10 p.m according to ABC News. Daytime temperatures in Pomona yesterday reached 90 degrees, so dehydration and heat stroke may have also played a role.

Just last year, another 19-year-old died from a suspected overdose at the same festival. Coachella remains the largest music gathering in Southern California with an estimated 100,000 visitors per day for two consecutive weekends.

And Saturday’s deaths are not the first to happen at Hard. The coroner’s office was told Sunday morning that the two women had died. Autopsies have been scheduled to determine the exact causes of death. Stay tuned for updates.