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One dead, 32 drug drivers at Vic festival

A woman has died and 32 people were caught drug driving at the Earthcore music festival in central Victoria.

Police patrol a music festival in Sydney
A woman has died and 32 people were caught drug driving at the Earthcore music festival in Victoria. (AAP)

A woman has died, 32 people were caught drug driving and two people were found with weapons at a dance festival in central Victoria, police say.

A 43-year-old woman from Bayswater died at Pyalong on Saturday and her death is not being treated as suspicious, police confirm.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

The woman may have had a pre-existing medical condition, Earthcore music festival organisers say.

A medical team reached the woman within two minutes but was unable to revive her, according to a statement posted to the Earthcore Facebook page on Monday.

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Festival organisers "are aware of an existing medical condition and are waiting for the coroner's inquest."

"We offered a counselling service on site to all staff and patrons at the time of the incident," the statement reads.

"This is truly heart breaking news and we will be releasing a formal statement once we have all the facts in place."

Police ran operations inside and outside the Earthcore festival grounds from November 24-28, including sniffer dogs.

During the five-day festival, 19 drug diversion notices were issued, 28 people were cautioned for cannabis and four people were interviewed for possessing a drug of dependence.

Police also interviewed two people for possession of a weapon and 32 were caught drug driving.

"While the presence of drugs is still concerning, police were pleased with the general behaviour of the crowd," police said in a statement.

Media reports of a man being voluntarily waterboarded - a form of torture - at the festival have not been reported to police, a spokesman told AAP.


2 min read

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Source: AAP



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