A Columbia, Maryland concert event co-founded by producer/Dj Diplo ended in tragedy on Friday (01Aug14), when a man died from a drug overdose and 20 others were hospitalised for substance abuse-related ailments.

Police have launched an investigation into the passing of Tyler Fox Viscardi, 20, who was pronounced dead at a local hospital after attending the Maryland stop of the Mad Decent Block Party.

A slew of other gig-goers also had to be treated for drug overdoses, while cops issued 50 citations for underage drinking, and arrested three people for various violations.

Diplo, one of the performers at the annual touring bash, has since taken to Twitter.com to express his sorrow over the tragic death of Viscardi and the other incidents which marred the show.

He writes, "Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by yesterday's event. we are truly devastated."

Concert promoter Seth Hurwitz adds, "Our hearts go out to the family (of Viscardi) as they face the unimaginable. As a parent, it makes me horribly sad beyond words to think of a tragedy like this.

"We can spend every minute of the day making perfect sense to our children regarding the obvious perils of drugs, but sometimes it is impossible to convince them that this is relevant to their world."

Pop duo Sleigh Bells and electronic producer Dillion Francis were among the other performers at the Merriweather Post Pavilion on Friday.