Teknival, this year’s techno music extravaganza held in central France, drew around 30,000 revellers on Saturday.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the techno event was swiftly set up on Thursday on a 70-hectare private plot of land on the edge of a wood. Hundreds of vehicles, some from abroad, drove to the festival and were parked alongside tents and walls of speakers.
Authorities, who had banned the event, were forced to deploy large medical and security detail to the event.
The event is held each year in a different location for security reasons, and the authorities were stepping up checks since Thursday. Water was being provided, while associations are on hand to provide support, particularly with regard to drug abuse.
Since the start of the Teknival, first aiders have attended to more than 250 people and firefighters have counted 73 admissions to the advanced medical post.
A total of five people were considered “absolute emergencies”, including three during the day on Friday.
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A 40-year-old man was hospitalised on Friday in a serious condition after being run over by a vehicle that was manoeuvring and did not see him. Under the influence of alcohol or drugs, he had fallen asleep in the grass.
Two accidents were also caused by bites from vipers which populate the woods surrounding the site.
Famous throughout Europe, Teknival was created in 1993. It is held every year in France at a location revealed at the last moment. It had not been held since May 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic which prevented large gatherings.
