Burning Man death under investigation as 70,000 festival-goers remain trapped in Nevada desert after rain | cnn

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Authorities are investigating a death in the Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert as thousands of people remain trapped at the scene after Heavy rains flooded the area, creating thick, ankle-deep mud that sticks to campers’ shoes and vehicle tires.

Attendees were told to take shelter in the Black Rock Desert and conserve food, water and fuel after a storm flooded the area, forcing officials to stop any entry or exit from the festival.

“A little more than 70,000 people” remained stranded Saturday, said Sgt. Nathan Carmichael of the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office told CNN on Sunday morning. Some people left the area on foot, but “most of the RVs are stuck in place,” he said.

On Sunday morning, event organizers said roads remained closed because they were “too wet and muddy” and more uncertain weather was likely ahead. While some vehicles were able to get out, others were stuck in the mud, organizers said at the event website.

“Please do NOT drive at this time,” they added. “We will inform you about the driving ban after this weather front has left the area.”

Remote northwestern Nevada received 2-3 months’ worth of rain (up to 0.8 inches) in just 24 hours between Friday and Saturday morning. Heavy rains fell on parched desert terrain, kicking up thick, clay-like mud that festival-goers said was too difficult to walk or bike.

The sheriff’s office said it is investigating “a death that occurred during this rain.” Authorities did not publicly name the person or provide details about the circumstances of the death.

“The family has been notified and the death is under investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release Saturday night.

The individual was found on the beach and lifesaving procedures to revive him were unsuccessful, Carmichael said Sunday, but did not share further details.

Beach is the term used to describe the dry, sunken lake beds in deserts, where water evaporates rather than runs off, and even a small amount of rain can quickly drench a large area.

Event organizers saying They plan to burn the Man, the huge totem pole set ablaze at the culmination of the festival, on Sunday night, weather permitting.

Rainy conditions forecast over the area for Sunday afternoon had passed mostly east of the festival site, according to a social media post by organizers, though there are still chances of showers and thunderstorms. “for the rest of the hours of the day” Until the night.

Authorities have provided no information on when roads might reopen, but the sun is expected to return on Monday.

“We do not currently have an estimated time for roads to be dry enough for RVs or vehicles to be able to drive safely,” Burning Man organizers said in a statement Saturday night. “On Monday late in the day it would be possible if the weather conditions favor us. It could be sooner.”

Organizers noted that rain falling on an already saturated beach overnight and on Sunday “will affect the amount of time it takes for the beach to dry out.”

For now, the Black Rock City gate and airport remain closed and no entry or exit of the city is allowed except for emergency vehicles, the said the organizers on social networks. Black Rock City is a temporary metropolis erected annually for the festival and has health, security and emergency infrastructure.

The rain “made it virtually impossible for motorized vehicles to cross the beach,” the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said, noting that people were advised to shelter in place until the ground had dried enough to allow drive safely.

Vehicles trying to get out will be stuck in the mud, Burning Man organizers said on Saturday. “This will hamper Exodus if we have cars stuck on the roads of our campgrounds or on the Gate Road outside the city,” the organizers added.

“If you are in BRC, please shelter in place and stay safe,” organizers said.

Thunderstorms and heavy rain in Nevada flooded other parts of the state and may have resulted in another death. In Las Vegas, authorities found a person unconscious and “entangled in rubble” Saturday morning, believed to be “a drowning victim,” according to Jace Radke, a city spokesman. An investigation is underway, Radke said in a news release.

Some festival-goers trekked for miles on foot through thick mud to reach main roads, while others remained in their camps, hoping conditions would improve.

Hannah Burhorn, a first-time attendee at the festival, told CNN that people trudged through the mud barefoot or with bags tied to their feet.

“People who have tried to cycle through it and have gotten stuck because it’s up to their ankles,” Burhorn said. The mud is so thick that “it sticks to the shoes and makes it almost like a boot around the boot,” he added.

It’s unclear exactly how many people are stranded at the festival, but typically more than 70,000 people attend the week-long event. It will take place from August 28 to September 4 this year.

There were no reports of injuries as of Saturday afternoon, Pershing County emergency management director Sean Burke told CNN.

Amar Singh Duggal and his friends managed to leave the festival after walking about 2 miles in the mud, he told CNN. He estimated that it took them about 2 hours to get to a main highway where they arranged to be picked up and taken to Reno, about a 120-mile drive from the event site.

“We made it, but it was hell (walking) in the mud,” Duggal said. “Each step seemed as if we were walking with two large blocks of concrete at our feet.”

Festival attendees included DJ Diplo and comedian Chris Rock.

Rock posted a video on Instagram of thick mud and Diplo posted a series of videos in which he said a fan offered to drive him and Rock off the site.

The DJ said they walked several kilometers and were able to reach a nearby airport.

Meanwhile, attendees who normally spend their time making art and building community are now also focused on rationing supplies and dealing with connectivity issues.

“There’s super limited bandwidth and a lot of people at the camp are trying to cancel flights and arrange extended time here” because of the weather, Burhorn told CNN via text message from a Wi-Fi-enabled camp.

Still, the poor conditions haven’t stopped creativity, said Burhorn, who had traveled from San Francisco.

“People are building clay sculptures,” he said.

Andrew Hyde, another attendee stuck at Burning Man, said that despite the muddy conditions making it difficult to walk, the weather has brought the meaning of the event back to its roots.

“You come here to experience severe weather and prepare for it,” Hyde told CNN’s Paula Newton. “So in many ways, everyone here has become friends with their neighbors and it’s a community event.”

Morale at the event is good and there is generally no panic among attendees, Hyde said, describing music coming back overnight.

However, there are concerns that additional rains will cause delays and the question that conditions will worsen.

“I think the concern is if we rain again,” he said. “People need to get back to their jobs, to the responsibilities they have at home.”

Organizers announced Saturday night that they will place mobile cell trailers in different positions, set up the organization’s Wi-Fi system for public access, and deploy buses to nearby Gerlach to take people who might walk from the beach to Reindeer.

“This is not likely to be a 24-hour operation at this time,” the festival said in a statement on its website.

The organizers are also providing four-wheel drive vehicles and all-terrain tires to help transport medical and other urgent situations to the tarmac.

People managed to walk to a main road and were waiting for transportation from festival organizers Saturday night, the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said.

Resources have been brought in from across northern Nevada to help those with medical needs at the event site, the sheriff’s office said.

“Burning Man is a community of people who are willing to support each other,” Burning Man said on its website. “We have come here knowing that this is a place where we bring everything we need to survive. That is why we are all well prepared for a climate event like this.”

“We have done tabletop drills for events like this,” the organizers added. “We are engaged full-time in all aspects of security and look to our Exodus as our next priority.”