Two Dead in Las Vegas During EDC Weekend

Both Azmi Atassi, 33, and Opkar Mahal, 39, were both reportedly attending, or planning to attend EDC Las Vegas last weekend.

Two men passed away in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 18, the third and final day of EDC Las Vegas. No causes of death have been disclosed at the time of writing.

Opkar Mahal, 39, of North Las Vegas, fell ill while attending the event itself at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, according to a spokesperson on behalf of Clark County. He was reportedly taken to University Medical Center, where he died later.

Azmi Atassi, 33, of Flagstaff, Arizona, was reportedly found dead in his room at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club. Authorities believe he was also in town to attend EDC Las Vegas.

Police did not release additional details, simply stating on Tuesday that they would be “reviewing” both deaths.

No “major incidents or injuries” had been reported in connection to EDC Las Vegas in 2024, although the Las Vegas Metro Police Department reported 28 felony arrests and 17 misdemeanor arrests. Apart from the two fatalities, those numbers are down overall, with police reporting 29 felony arrests and five misdemeanor arrests, according to KTNV Las Vegas.

EDC Las Vegas is the crown jewel of Insomniac, a Los-Angeles based promoter whose influence expands with every passing year. The broader Electric Daisy Carnival brand includes events across the globe, such as EDC Orlando, EDC Mexico, EDC Thailand, and EDC Korea. Recently, Insomniac has also finalized a partnership with German event organizer Time Warp in order to help it expand to new US markets.

In Las Vegas, EDC Week starts on the Wednesday before the festival and includes events at nightclubs and dayclubs across the Las Vegas Strip. Over 525,000 people attended the festival across all three days in 2024.