An 18-year-old man is in a critical condition and three others remain in hospital after taking the drug 2CB, an ecstasy substitute. Bloomberg

A man has been arrested in Cork in connection with the 2CB incident yesterday.

Three people have been released without charge after two searches at separate addresses in Cork today.

The man is currently being held at Bridewell Garda Station after gardai discovered MDMA at an address in Finbarrs Place in Cork.

The three men who were released without charge are aged, 21, 23 and 25 years old.

Earlier today a man who says he was the first person to come on the scene of the house party in Cork where a number of people took designer drug 2CB has described it as one of “one of the scariest" nights of his life.

An 18-year-old man is in a critical condition and three others remain in hospital after taking the drug 2CB, an ecstasy substitute, at the party.

Gerard Banks, a passerby, has told how he became concerned when he heard shouting.

When he went to the front window to investigate, he saw blood on the walls, floor, and curtains, and he asked one of the partygoers to let him inside.

“Last night was one of the scariest and most surreal nights of my life,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

Read more: Drugs minister admits designer drugs like 2CB may not be illegal

“I was walking [past] late last night and heard crazy shouting in a house. So me and a friend looked in the window to see is everyone ok.”

“The bedroom was covered in blood, walls, floor, bed and even curtains. We shouted in to see is everyone OK. A man arrived at the window clearly on drugs and in a state of shock. We asked is everyone ok. He replied: ‘yes, everything is fine’.”

“So we said there is blood everywhere, someone must be hurt, can we check to make sure no one is hurt? He said ‘yes’ and opened the door. When we went in it was like a scene from CSI. Blood all over the walls, floors, couches and a man and a woman naked covered in blood shouting and screaming badly hurt and clearly in a state of dementia.”

“The man was smashing the house up, blood was everywhere. The house was destroyed. There was a man on the floor in cardiac arrest with major breathing problems and the man who let us in [was] sitting on the chair in shock.”

Mr Banks directed paramedics to the scene when they arrived.

“In shock, me and my friend took control of the room. My friend started helping the man in cardiac arrest on the floor. I had to control the room to let my friend help the man on the floor in safety.”

“It was surreal… a naked man and woman dancing naked on the chairs as a man was having cardiac arrest on the floor. I was the man who left the guards and paramedics into the house. It was surreal.”

Students in Cork are being warned to remain vigilant after six young people were hospitalised after consuming the drug at the party.

“Whatever drugs those people were on last night was scary,” Mr Banks said.

“They didn’t even know they were covered in blood and badly hurt, they didn’t even know there was a man dying on the floor. I haven’t slept a wink all night. I’m still in shock to be honest.”

“These people did not seem like bad people just like students out partying which is the most worrying thing about this new drug and its side effects. It’s really scary stuff and we need to make everyone aware of its dangers.”

“Everyone in the house was rushed to hospital… We were all delighted to see the man in cardiac arrest leave in an ambulance in a stable state. One night of taking this new drug has probably ruined the lives of these people for a long time to come.”

A spokesperson for the HSE has described 2CB as a new psychoactive substance similar to those products previously sold in 'head-shops'.

HSE addiction services manager for Cork and Kerry David Lane said it was not safe to consume head-shop type substances.

Mr Banks added: “I’m putting out a big appeal for everyone in Cork to be aware of the dangers of a new drug on our streets called 2CP."

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