At least 27 people were hospitalized in West Baltimore after suspected drug overdoses.
Citing managers of the region’s fire service, the American BBC CBS News partner reports that seven people had been admitted to critical condition – but no death was reported.
The incident took place near an intersection in the city’s Penn North region on Thursday morning.
Officials did not disclose the substances they suspect could have been involved.
The United States has experienced a rapid increase in the number of drug overdoses over the past two decades. Overdose death deaths increased by 500% between 1999 and 2022, according to centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
During this period, the CDC identified three waves of predominant causes: the first involving prescription opioids, the second heroine and more recently synthetic opioids.
Illegal drugs are increasingly cut with synthetic drugs – such as fentanyl – which increase the risk of overdose or toxic substances.
Baltimore’s state lawyer, Ivan Bates said the incident served as a “powerful reminder” of the city’s “battle against the Opioid epidemic”.
Firefighters James Wallace told journalists on Thursday that emergency services at the Baltimore incident were directed to several people suspected of overdose.
He said that people had been found along two avenues who intersect as well as on the metro platforms and along the alleys after the initial response around 9:30 am, local time (2:30 pm BST), according to CBS.
Baltimore police posted on X Thursday that they and the fire services were at the intersection of the road “in reference to several people with symptoms of overdose”.
The police service asked people to avoid the area because several streets had been blocked and the buses reached.
Maryland governor Wes Moore also said on Thursday that his team coordinated with state agencies, city officials and first stakeholders.
“I am grateful to those who have quickly alerted us about this situation and to those who provide support for the community,” said Moore.
In addition, an update of the city mayor, Brandon Scott, offered advice to residents who consume medicines, especially to never use alone and to transport naloxone – which can reverse or reduce the effects of a overdose.
