On Saturday night, roughly 200 people attended an illegal gathering dubbed “Rave Cave” in an Oslo bunker, and COVID-19 turned out to be the least of their worries. 27 of them have been hospitalized after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning – five of whom were in critical condition, including two of the police officers who first arrived on the scene.
According to BBC, the organizers of the party ran portable diesel generators in the enclosed space to supply power to the event’s lighting and sound systems. Police came across a disoriented crowd outside the bunker during a routine patrol, and others came out to ask for medical assistance. Emergency medics found seven people unconscious upon entry.
A man who left before police arrived said that similar events had previously been held at the bunker, reported public broadcasting network NRK, and recounted needing to exit for air numerous times throughout the night. “When you rave in a room without windows with 50 to 60 others, the air becomes heavy,” he said. “I had to go out several times and breathe fresh air.”
A company called Stiftelsen Diakonissehuset Lovisenberg owns the bunker in which the party was held. Vidar Haukeland, who runs the business, told Norwegian newspaper VG that the company took no responsibility for the incident, calling the organizers’ activity a “serious break-in.”
Norwegian authorities plan to review a ban on alcohol sales after midnight intended to curb COVID-19 in September.
