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© picture alliance / BEAUTIFUL SPORTS | Sebastian Derix
Graspop Metal Meeting, the four-day metal festival in Dessel, Belgium, got off to a somber start on Thursday: a 47-year-old man who had fallen ill at the festival’s campground died in the hospital on Thursday morning.
“It is with great sadness that we report that a 47-year-old festivalgoer passed away last night. All indications point to a natural cause of death. Despite the rapid response of our emergency services, he unfortunately passed away,” the organization stated on the festival’s Facebook page. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and loved ones. We thank the emergency responders, the GMM crew, and our festivalgoers for their support.”
“Anyone who needs support or is looking for someone to talk to can contact the We Care A Lot team via the app or stop by the festival entrance later today. Stay safe, stay metal.”
The 47-year-old man had fallen ill at the Boneyard campground and quickly received medical assistance from Graspop Metal Meeting’s in-house medical team. During the festival, that team is on standby 24 hours a day to provide rapid medical assistance. The man was taken to the hospital, but he passed away there on Thursday morning.
The metal festival in Dessel is now in its 29th edition. Over 150 acts will perform over the course of four days. Some 150,000 music fans are expected to attend. This year’s headliners include Within Temptation, Limp Bizkit, Anthrax, Volbeat, Def Leppard, and Sabaton.
Picture: © picture alliance / BEAUTIFUL SPORTS | Sebastian Derix