Bank worker dead and 12 hospitalised after suspected festival drug overdoses

Police are investigating whether a 26 year-old man’s death is linked to MDMA seized at a music festival after 12 other people were hospitalised from suspected overdoses at the event.

Crowds at the Transmission festival at the weekend. Picture: Supplied

A music festival-goer went back to his girlfriend’s house where his health deteriorated so badly he was rushed to hospital and died from a suspected drug overdose.

Kieran Ngo, 26, told medical staff at Blacktown Hospital he started feeling unwell after taking a pill at Transmission Festival which was held at the Sydney Showground on Saturday afternoon.

Twelve hours after the event began, Mr Ngo was dead.

NSW Police and the coroner are now investigating if his death is linked to a bad batch of MDMA after 12 other people were hospitalised suffering suspected overdoses - seven of whom needed help to breath - and more than 400 tablets were seized.
Mr Ngo’s devastated family said they were in mourning and trying to make sense of his sudden and tragic death.

Kieran Ngo (R), 26, who died from a suspected drug overdose just hours after attending Transmission Festival in Sydney on Saturday. Picture: Facebook

“This is a really hard time for us...we are trying to understand what happened,” a relative said.

Police said the Commonwealth Bank employee and former Patrician Brothers College Blacktown student was among 18,000 at the electronic music festival which kicked off at 3pm in searing heat.

Revellers at the Transmission festival.

At 1.30am on Sunday, Mr Ngo was at his girlfriend’s home in southwest Sydney when he began feeling seriously unwell and took himself to Bankstown Hospital, telling staff he first started feeling unwell after taking a pill at the festival.

His condition rapidly deteriorated and at 3am police were called to the hospital to investigate Mr Ngo’s sudden death.

Detectives spent Monday speaking with Mr Ngo’s friends and girlfriend, trying to understand exactly how many pills he consumed and the circumstances leading up to his tragic death.

Medical teams on site at the festival treated more than 130 people with numerous complaints related to drug use and heat exhaustion.

Kieran Ngo, 26, and his girlfriend Monica Nguyen. Mr Ngo died hours after taking himself to Bankstown Hospital saying he felt unwell. Picture: Facebook

Six people at the event were charged with drug offences after they were detected by police sniffer dogs.

A 23-year-old Oran Park man was allegedly found in possession of 253 MDMA tablets and a 21-year-old Fairfield West man was charged with supplying and possessing a prohibited drug after he was allegedly found with 149 MDMA tablets.

Greens MP Kate Faehrmann said the government needs to urgently implement recommendations made at a coronial inquest three years following six deaths at music festivals.

“I’m calling on the premier to implement all recommendations from the Inquiry into Music Festival Deaths including pill testing, banning sniffer dogs at music festivals and decriminalising drugs as a matter of urgency,” Ms Faehrmann said.

“The experts all agree that heavy-handed and punitive drug laws encourage unsafe behaviour like consuming too much at once to avoid detection, and consuming pills that may contain unknown, potentially deadly substances.”

The festival’s website describes the event as “a spectacular show that creates an unforgettable experience through a combination of electronic music, high quality equipment, special effects, live acts and special scenography”.

Police conducted a high-visibility operation at the event after it was determined a high-risk event under the Music Festivals Act 2019.