A Malaysian doctor who handled a number of the deaths that occurred during last year’s Future Music Festival Asia (FMFA) has come out saying that the narrative surrounding the punters’ deaths has not been entirely accurate.
As The Star reports, while the public was made to believe that the deaths of six people during last year’s FMFA event were the result of drug overdoses, Dr K. Nadesan now says the deaths were actually caused by heatstroke.
Post-mortem results issued two months after the deaths reportedly showed that while the three patients examined at the University Malaya Medical Centre did have drugs in their systems, they played a negligible role in their deaths.
In fact, two out of the 16 revellers brought to hospital in critical condition did not show any trace of illegal substances. Despite the findings, “drug overdose deaths” was used as grounds to cancel FMFA 2014 and this year’s event in Singapore.
Dr Nadesan, head professor of the University Malaya Medical Centre’s forensic pathology department, said he had sent several detailed reports correcting statements made by police, which insisted the deaths were due to drugs.
“Generally, the police did not show much interest in the reports. Unfortunately, they made statements without proper scientific reasons, which is not the right way,” Dr Nadesan told The Star.
“They should have spoken to us and encouraged an inquest into the case because it is a matter of public interest to prevent similar incidents.” University Malaya Medical Centre handled the post-mortem for three of the dead and treated nine others.
According to Dr Nadesan, those who died tested positive for ecstasy or MDMA, but the levels shown were much lower than the average recreational level of 0.1 to 0.25 microgram per millilitre.
Autopsies performed on the “virtually dried up” bodies, including one who showed a temperate of 39°C, led Dr Nadesan to conclude that the deaths were caused by heatstroke. He said drugs may have contributed in some small way, but they were not the main cause.
Instead, Dr Nadesan claimed, a combination of choking haze, high humidity, and 35°C temperatures were the main causes of the tragedy. The deceased were without sufficient fluids and dancing for hours, providing perfect conditions for heatstroke.
Dr Nadesan said some of the victims, especially those who had ingested MDMA, became uninhibited and overexerted themselves physically, causing their bodies to lose control in regulating temperatures.
“I was surprised because when I came in, the impression created from the police announcement was that they had taken large doses of drugs,” he said.
“Even the clinicians at the trauma centre were under the impression that these people were heavily intoxicated with drugs and were treating them for overdose instead heatstroke.”
[include_post id=”446543″]
“The autopsy and clinical findings were not on par with drug overdose. The police had no grounds to say it was. It was a wrong assumption,” he said.
The doctor said the tragedy could have been avoided had festival organisers provided adequate access to water and information on how to stay safe in harsh weather.
Strangely, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM), which handled the autopsies for three other victims, have declined to reveal their findings.
Meanwhile, KL Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Zainuddin Ahmad did confirm that sudden death reports for the six dead had listed heatstroke as the cause.
As The Star notes, the deaths of the six punters has had a considerable impact on the nightlife and concert scene in Asia. The alleged drug overdoses of the six punters were used as justification to cancel several events, including Life In Colour in April last year and Thirst 2015: We Are All Stardust in April.
