Nevada
US: Storm at Burning Man festival strands over 70,000 at Nevada
Burning Man festival at Nevada: A late-summer storm turned a week-long counterculture festival into a muddy mess in the Black Rock desert in the US state of Nevada desert, leaving tens of thousands of partygoers stranded in ankle-deep mud with no working toilets, CNN reported.
One death has been reported at the festival where heavy rains inundated the area authorities confirmed. Police is investigating “a death which occurred during this rain event,” Sheriff’s Office stated. “The family has been notified and the death is under investigation,” the sheriff’s office said as reported by CNN.
“A little over 70,000 people,” were stranded on Saturday said Sgt. Nathan Carmichael, with the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, reported CNN. He further stated that some of them have left the site by walking out but “most of the RVs are stuck in place.”
A remote area in northwest Nevada received 2 to 3 months’ worth of rain – up to 0.8 inches – in just 24 hours between Friday and Saturday morning. The torrential rainfall whipped up thick, clay-like mud that festivalgoers reported was too tough to walk or bike through.
The Burning Man festival spans a week, this year’s event began on August 28 and was scheduled to end on September 4. The festival attracts nearly 70,000 artists, musicians, and activists for a mix of wilderness camping and avant-garde performances. However, this year’s event was disrupted by heavy rains, which caused flooding and mudslides.
DJ Diplo and comedian Chris Rock, were among those attending the festival. The DJ said that had to walk many miles before they were able to reach a nearby airport, CNN reported. Rock shared a video on Instagram of heavy mudded scene.
Diplo also shared series of videos in which he said a fan offered him and Rock a ride to a safer place.
Due to the rain and muddy conditions, organisers postponed the traditional burning of the wooden effigy, a significant part of the festival, until Monday night. Roads leading to and from the event remained closed due to the muddy conditions, leaving thousands of attendees stranded, reported CNN.