A mass fentanyl overdose incident in Northern California on Saturday, leaving one dead and at least a dozen others hospitalized.
California police captain Mike O’Brien said at a news conference that one man died at the scene and four other victims are in critical condition. “Certainly there’s potential for additional fatalities,” he added. “I want to emphasize that.”
A person affiliated with the house where the overdoses occurred called 911 on Saturday morning at around 9:12 a.m local time. Responding officers performed CPR at the scene and provided six victims with doses of naloxone, medicine that can treat narcotic overdoses in emergency situations. Exposure to the deadly opioid fentanyl caused the overdose, affecting both the victims and two officers responding to the incident, according to police.
Santana Court, in North Chico where the incident occurred, was closed on Saturday while the clean up took place. Authorities suspect the overdoses were caused by ingestion of the dangerous drug and a separate substance that is yet to be determined.
