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Arts & Entertainment

Two Women Die Of Suspected Overdoses At HARD Summer Music Festival

hard_fest.jpg
Day 1 of the HARD Summer music festival in Pomona (via HARD presents...)

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Two women have died at the HARD Summer music festival of suspected overdoses.On Sunday morning, the Los Angeles County coroner's office confirmed that an 18-year old woman and a 19-year old woman both died Saturday night after being taken to the hospital from the music festival in Pomona. Both were taken to the same hospital, but according to the L.A. Times it is unclear if they were related in any way.

Their identities have yet to be released, pending notification of family.

According to ABC 7, the 18-year old collapsed during the festival and was pronounced dead just after 6 p.m. The 19-year old was "found unresponsive" and pronounced dead after 8 p.m. The cause of death is suspected to be drug overdoses, though that has yet to be determined pending autopsies and toxicology reports.

Saturday was Day 1 of the two-day festival, being held at Pomona's Fairplex. Both days are expected to draw over 65,000 people. Temperatures in Pomona today are expected to reach 90 degrees, and high temperatures combined with Ecstasy use can be a lethal combo. In June, a San Francisco man died at the Electric Daisy Carnival in Vegas after authorities said he overdosed on the drug.

At last year's HARD Summer in South El Monte, a 19-year old woman also died of a suspected drug overdose.

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