A coroner has issued a damning report against an East London nightclub after staff failed to call an ambulance for more than an hour while a young man was dying from a drug overdose.
Fatal Delay in Emergency Response
FOLD nightclub in Canning Town has been strongly criticised by Coroner Mary Hassell following the tragic death of 23-year-old Haaris Bhatti. The coroner's investigation revealed that staff discovered Bhatti seriously unwell at 4:45am on July 19, 2025, but did not call for emergency medical assistance until 5:57am - a delay of over seventy minutes.
Critical Medical Emergency Ignored
According to the coroner's report, when staff found Bhatti in distress, a first-aider took him to the venue's welfare room in a wheelchair. Medical observations at the time indicated he was extremely hot, had a dangerously fast heart rate, exhibited sky-high blood pressure, and appeared to be in a psychotic state.
Despite these alarming symptoms, no immediate call was made to emergency services. The coroner stated unequivocally that this delay "decreased Haaris's chance of survival" and that he might have survived the overdose if staff had called an ambulance immediately upon recognising his critical condition.
Systemic Failure in Club Culture
In her Prevention of Future Deaths report addressed to the nightclub owner, Coroner Hassell emphasised that the problem extended beyond individual staff members. She wrote: "The delay did not seem to me to be simply about any individual member of staff, but rather it reflected the club’s training and culture as a whole. Staff were concerned for Haaris, but this concern did not translate into effective management of his medical emergency."
During the inquest, staff members themselves acknowledged they should have called an ambulance as soon as they brought Bhatti to the welfare room and observed his deteriorating condition.
Official Findings and Club Obligations
The coroner officially recorded Bhatti's cause of death as drug toxicity, though the specific substances involved were redacted from the publicly available report. The findings have been shared with Bhatti's parents.
FOLD nightclub now faces serious scrutiny and is legally required to respond to the coroner's report within 56 days of its issuance, with a deadline of March 25, 2026. The venue must address the systemic issues identified and demonstrate how it will prevent similar tragedies in future.
When approached for comment by media outlets, the nightclub has so far remained silent on the matter. The case highlights critical questions about emergency response protocols in nightlife venues and the legal responsibilities of entertainment establishments when patrons face medical emergencies.
