The death of a British-born cancer specialist after an electronic music festival in Medellín this weekend has cast a shadow over the Colombian debut of one of the world’s best-known dance music brands. A second foreign attendee from Costa Rica also died during the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), held October 10 and 11 at Medellín’s Atanasio Girardot sports complex, while an Australian visitor was brutally attacked with a knife during the same bank holiday weekend.
Ajay Bhatnagar, 51, a radiation oncologist of Indian heritage who lived and worked in the United States, died at approximately 5 p.m. on Monday after developing medical complications while attending the highly-promoted outdoor music and dance carnival.
According to Colombian media outlets Bhatnagar was rushed to the Clínica El Rosario on Sunday, where his condition initially stabilized. Investigators are examining whether the emergency was associated with the suspected consumption of high doses of amphetamines and alcohol. A definitive cause of death has not been released by the National Forensic Institute – Medicina Legal.
The renown doctor’s death followed that of Costa Rican Ismael Gerardo Méndez Huertas, 27, who was found unconscious and experiencing severe breathing difficulties during the festival on Saturday night. He was transported to Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital, where he died in the early hours of Sunday.
Meanwhile, Australian national Frank Stephen Ramírez, 46, was found seriously injured in the Laureles neighbourhood during the early hours of Sunday, reportedly after attending the festival. Local media reported that he had sustained 25 stab wounds. He was taken to hospital and remained in serious condition in the latest reports, as police investigated the circumstances of the attack and a possible robbery.
The three cases involve foreign nationals during a single weekend, but authorities have not established a connection between the Australian’s assault and the two deaths. The cases remain separate investigations.
Prominent medical career
Bhatnagar’s death is notable not only because of the circumstances surrounding the festival but also because of his professional background.
Born in London, he spent much of his childhood in Pennsylvania before studying bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated magna cum laude. He subsequently obtained a medical degree and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, completing postgraduate training in radiation oncology at the university’s medical centre.
He founded the Prostate Cancer Institute of Arizona and worked with hospitals through Alliance Oncology. His clinical practice included prostate brachytherapy, a treatment that uses radioactive implants placed within the prostate to target cancer cells. In 2023, he was named in the Nationwide Registries’ Top Doctors of America Honors Edition, according to his professional biography.
EDC’s Colombian debut
The festival’s arrival in Medellín had been promoted as a major milestone for Colombia’s electronic music scene and the city’s international entertainment ambitions.
Organized by Insomniac in partnership with Colombian live entertainment company Páramo Presenta, EDC staged its first Colombian edition at the Atanasio Girardot complex on October 10 and 11. The event featured more than 80 artists across seven stages and drew a reported audience of more than 94,000 over the two days. EDC is known internationally for its large-scale productions, immersive light displays and performances by leading electronic music artists. Its arrival reflects Medellín’s growing appeal as a destination for international events and visitors.
But the reported deaths and violent assault have raised questions about the risks facing attendees and the arrangements in place to respond to medical emergencies and crime surrounding a major festival.
Questions over safety and accountability
Méndez Huertas’s father, Javier Méndez, told Colombian media that his son was not an addict and called for the circumstances of his death to be clarified. Friends of the Costa Rican have also raised questions about security checks and the apparent availability of illicit substances inside the venue.
In the case of the Australian, investigators were reviewing security-camera footage and witness accounts to reconstruct his movements before he was found injured in Laureles. One reported line of inquiry concerns a possible robbery, but the motive had not been confirmed.
The cases also raise questions about the effectiveness of emergency medical provision at large-scale events, the detection and prevention of dangerous substance use, and the safety of international visitors moving between festival venues and accommodation.
For Medellín, which has worked to strengthen its reputation as a destination for tourism, nightlife and international cultural events, the distinction between promoting a successful festival and ensuring public safety has come under scrutiny.
Evidence so far does not establish that EDC’s organisers are implicated in any of the three incidents. Nor does it demonstrate that the cases share a common cause. But the concentration of two deaths and a serious knife attack involving foreign nationals over one weekend shows how foreigners remain exposed in Colombian to external security risks, including drug-related crimes. For Bhatnagar’s family and medical colleagues, the loss is that of a physician whose career was devoted to treating cancer.
Scopolamine, a substance used in some robberies and assaults to incapacitate victims, has featured prominently in travel advisories to tourists about accepting drinks, food or other substances from strangers. While there is no evidence that scopolamine was involved in the EDC cases, however, the deaths and reported knife attack underscore the importance of visitor safety across Colombia.
For Medellín, the tragedy raises broader questions about a city seeking to move beyond an international image indelibly linked to Pablo Escobar, the Medellín Cartel and narco-tourism. As the city courts international audiences through major cultural and entertainment events, its ability to ensure their safety remains central to its ambitions of becoming a global tourism destination.