A death has been reported at the site of the Burning Man music and arts festival – where thousands of attendees have been forced into “survival mode” as torrential rains turned the Nevada desert site a treacherous, muddy pit, authorities said.
A death has been reported at the site of the Burning Man music and arts festival – where thousands of attendees have been forced into “survival mode” as torrential rains turned the Nevada desert into a treacherous muddy pit, authorities said.
The death happened “during this rain event,” the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said, according to a KNSD report late Saturday.
But further details, including the person’s identity or the apparent cause, were not immediately revealed.
“As this death is still under investigation, there is no further information available at this time,” officials said in a statement.
The counterculture festival, held at the Black Rock Desert, was closed down earlier Saturday, due to the inclement weather, brought on by the remnants of Hurricane Hilary.
More than 73,000 attendees were ordered to shelter in place, and those still on their way to the festival were told to “turn around and head home” by the federal Bureau of Land Management, the public agency which manages the land where the event is held.
“More rain is expected over the next few days and conditions are not expected to improve enough to allow vehicles to enter the playa,” officials said.
