It was a 28-year-old man at the NSCI Worli Dome in Mumbai who passed out and died at a well-attended show, and now there is a wide-ranging probe as well as some new unease over the city’s big-name nightlife. They are thinking it was a heart attack, but police won’t put a label on it until the medical side of things is done with.
What we know about the collapse
We have a name: Vrushabh Mahendra Gangurde, from Mahim. He was in the venue when he caved in and was taken for help, as far as we can tell from early reports.
You have to let the post-mortem and forensics run their course before you can put a finger on why he died. A heart attack is the leading theory, but no one is pointing to one thing just yet.
Alcohol, drugs, and crowding under scrutiny
Police are looking at this from all sides. Word is Gangurde had more than his fair share of alcohol. There is also the matter of whether any drugs were in the mix, but they aren’t ready to make a call on that.
There was a lot of people at the concert. Some of the early info has it that he and a young woman with him were having trouble breathing in the crush of it, which is something they are factoring in.
Here is what the investigators are putting on the table:
– A case of a suspected heart attack (unconfirmed)
– The amount of alcohol is said to have been a lot
– Any drug ties are being looked into
– Being in a thick crowd and not getting enough air
Inside the night: the OUTWORLD Mumbai show
This was the OUTWORLD event, the kind of techno affair put on by Klangkuenstler, the German DJ and producer with a following. You know the type: dark, futuristic, with some heavy industrial techno and a bit of the underground scene to it.
They don’t just put it out there as a concert; it’s sold as an experience. And it drew in fans from all over town and beyond, which makes for some pressure when it comes to keeping things in order.
Security tightened at NSCI Worli Dome
In the wake of what happened, the Mumbai Police have put a clamp on security at the Worli Dome. You will find personnel on the ground and a watchful eye, as they like to put it, while they get on with the job.
They are talking to the people who put on the show, anyone who was there, and the like. The body is with the pathologist and, as the officers put it, they will go from there once they have the numbers.
Why the case resonates with concertgoers
Nightlife is supposed to be high-octane, but you only have to look at this to see how fast a good time can turn when the environment is against you. With a huge turnout, some heavy drinking and a possible medical issue, it is all up for review.
People want to know what went down and the authorities are saying they will have to let the reports speak for themselves. How this is resolved may well have a say in how the next few nights in Mumbai are run.
What comes next in the probe
The detectives are on it, from the toxicology to the way the crowd was handled. They have opened up a file and are trying to piece together the sequence of events in the room.
But for the moment, the bottom line is that we don’t have a confirmed cause of death. The medical reports will be the ones to tell us if it was his heart, some kind of substance, the crowd, or a little of each.
