The Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) ordered the investigation on Sunday after drink spiking reports emerged from Saturday night's concert, which attracted around 60,000 people. 

One woman told Hungarian media that she became seriously unwell around five minutes after drinking only a few sips, eventually needing to lie down and receive medical treatment.

Police say they are investigating suspected illegal drug abuses and are trying to establish exactly what caused the reported illnesses.

Investigators have already questioned witnesses, taken samples from people and seized video recordings from the event. The recordings and other evidence are now being analysed, the police confirmed.

The investigation follows several accounts posted on social media by people who said they or friends had suddenly become very unwell during the concert. 

One widely circulated account came from a young man who said his sister had apparently been given a drug without her knowledge. He said that while waiting at the venue's detoxification centre, he was aware of at least 18 young people being admitted with similar symptoms.

Several other festival-goers subsequently described sudden and unusually severe reactions after consuming only small amounts of alcohol or drinks. 

However, there is currently no official confirmation that anyone was deliberately drugged or that a substance was put into drinks. The reports circulating online are allegations, and establishing whether drugs were involved is precisely what the police investigation is intended to determine.

The case has also raised questions about medical assistance at Sziget Festival. The National Ambulance Service said it was taking complaints about the treatment of people who became unwell seriously and would investigate whether there had been any shortcomings in the care provided.

The Sziget Budapest organisers have also said they are following the case and will cooperate fully with the authorities.

They reported that fewer than 100 people among the more than 60,000 visitors required medical attention at the event, with around 20 cases involving alcohol-related problems.

The organisers said there had been no confirmed drug-related medical cases at the time of their statement.

The concert was a major pre-Sziget event featuring DJ Oti, the retro party persona of Hungarian radio presenter and entertainer Balázs Sebestyén. It took place at the same Óbuda Island venue immediately before the main Sziget Festival, which is currently underway.

The police investigation therefore comes at a particularly sensitive time for Sziget, with thousands of international visitors currently attending the world-famous festival.

For festival-goers, the incident is also a reminder to keep an eye on friends and to seek immediate medical assistance if someone suddenly becomes confused, loses consciousness or experiences an unexplained severe reaction.

Police have not yet announced what, if anything, caused the reported illnesses. The investigation is continuing.

Photo: Pixabay

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