At least one person has been reported dead after torrential rains forced thousands of Burning Man attendees to shelter in place at the Nevada venue Saturday, officials say.
“The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a death which occurred during this rain event. The family has been notified and the death is under investigation. As this death is still under investigation, there is no further information available at this time,” the sheriff’s office stated in a release, according to ABC News.
More than a half an inch of rain reportedly fell on the festival site in Black Rock City Friday with more rain forecasted for the rest of the weekend, CBS News reported. By Saturday, concert goers were trudging through mud and contending with flood conditions before being forced to shelter in place as organizers closed off vehicular access to the venue for the remainder of the weekend, the outlet stated.
This car was sent to Stone Age, excessive flooding ruined the Burning Man festival, with many got trapped in thick mud in Nevada. At least one person has been reported dead.#Nevada #LasVegas #BurningMan #BurningMan2023 #burningmanebola pic.twitter.com/G5qgjgjXiA
— Insider Times (@Insider_Times) September 3, 2023
Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen noted that the heavy rains had made the area “virtually impossible for motorized vehicles to traverse” and urged attendees to shelter in place until the ground dried sufficiently to allow for safe travel, ABC news reported.
“There is more rain forecast for the next few days, which could cause further delays and disruptions for participants attempting to leave the Festival as well as other operations within the Festival,” Allen warned, the outlet stated. (RELATED: Video Shows Cop Truck Plowing Straight Through Climate Protestors’ Roadblock)
“Hello from Burning Man. There is absolutely crazy flooding right now, but I, along with my camp, am safe with plenty of water, food, and shelter. Turning off the Starlink to conserve power,” DJ Spencer Brown announced on Twitter.
Music producer and DJ Diplo shared a video of his experience, announcing that he and his group — which included comedian Chris Rock — had just “walked 5 miles in the mud out of Burning Man” before a fan gave them a lift in the back of their truck.
Burning Man is an annual festival that takes place once a year in the Nevada desert about 100 miles outside of Reno.