A fatality that occurred during torrential rain at the Burning Man festival in the U.S. state of Nevada has prompted an investigation.
After poor weather turned the ground into thick, slippery mud, thousands of people remained stranded at the event. Roads leading to and from the event have been closed due to the inability of vehicles to travel.
Burning Man is conducted in the typically dry and dusty Black Rock Desert. The Pershing County Sheriff's office said in a statement released on Saturday that it is "currently investigating a death that occurred during this rain event" but did not provide any additional information about the circumstances.
The unusual rain storms occurred at the conclusion of the nine-day festival, when the largest audiences had gathered to witness the grand finale - the burning of the enormous wooden effigy.
According to reports, the worst of the rain has passed, but there is still a chance of additional precipitation and thunderstorms.
People have been instructed to conserve their food, water, and fuel because it may be several days before the ground dries sufficiently for them to depart.
The organizers have now emptied and restocked the restrooms. After service vehicles were unable to travel on the mud to empty them, they were no longer in use. According to the sheriff's office, individuals who attempted to drive away from the festival made the marshy ground worse.
The organizers of Burning Man did not provide a time estimate for when the roadways would be dry enough for vehicles to leave the site.
The event organizers have arranged for shuttles to transport participants to the city of Reno, located more than 100 miles away.
Photographs depict partially submerged shelters in murky floodwater.
Burning Man is one of the most well-known cultural events in the United States. In the midst of the desert, visitors construct a temporary city where they are expected to be largely self-sufficient.
London-based Burning Man participant Faye told sources that she has been "covered in mud for the past three days." She stated, "There are no showers here." "The only thing you can do inside your tent is wash with baby wipes, but I will likely run out of baby wipes tomorrow."
In addition to music, the festival typically includes large interactive art installations. However, many of the attractions had to be canceled.
Despite this, numerous individuals attempted to make the best of the circumstance by dancing in the mud to techno music.
Josiah Roe, a camper, mentioned that they are using this as an opportunity to hang out and spend more time with their new and old friends.
Burning Man was founded in June 1986 and conducted for the first time in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada in 1990.
Tickets can be extremely difficult to obtain, and festival-goers are sometimes required to interview and demonstrate their commitment to the festival's ideals in order to gain access to popular locations.
Some organizations plan their camp, artwork, and theme for an entire year.
This year, however, there were weather concerns, and tickets were being traded at a discount on the secondary market.
