BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — There were seven confirmed overdose deaths in the Town of Tonawanda, the City of Lackawanna and the City of Buffalo areas on Monday, according to the Erie County Department of Health.

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office suspects that the deaths are linked to a “particularly lethal form of fentanyl.”

Preliminary reports by The Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office found suspected forms of cocaine (crack or powder) in each scene.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz first posted the news on X, formerly known as Twitter, just after 3:40 p.m. Monday, citing the ECDOH as his source. He said Narcan may not be enough to save a life as deaths could be “instantaneous.”

Christopher Horvatits, a public information officer for the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed the deaths with a similar post on Monday afternoon.

The ECDOH has since released more information about the deaths. They announced Tuesday that the deaths occurred within a six-hour period, three in Tonawanda, three in Buffalo, and one in Lackawanna. They say the ages of the victims ranged from early 40s to early 60s.

Two scenes involved two individuals who died together.

The ECMEO has reported 85 confirmed opioid-related deaths this year as of June 13.

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Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University.

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