VICTORIA — One man is dead as Victoria police and paramedics scramble to cope with an exceptionally high number of drug overdoses today.

Police officers were at the Johnson Street parkade investigating in the early evening, said Acting Staff Sgt. Steve Kowan.

It is not yet known if this death is connected with an overdose, he said. Forensic investigators went to the site after receiving a report of a sudden death.

"There has been a very high number of overdoses today," Kowan said. "It looks like it is mostly heroin but I'm not positive about that."

One ambulance crew alone handled seven overdoses during the day shift, Kowan said. It's too early to say what has caused the overdoses. "It could be a particularly strong batch that is hitting the streets really fast, or it could be something slightly different in them."