As thousands of people remain unable to leave the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert after heavy rains inundated their campsites with ankle-deep mud Saturday, authorities say they are investigating a death at the event.

Attendees were told to shelter in place in the Black Rock Desert and conserve food, water and fuel after a rainstorm swamped the area, forcing officials to halt any entering or leaving of the festival.

The remote area in northwest Nevada was hit with 2 to 3 months worth of rain – up to 0.8 inches – in just 24 hours between Friday and Saturday mornings. The heavy rainfall fell on dry desert grounds, whipping up thick, clay-like mud that festivalgoers say is too difficult to walk or bike through.

  • @hearthing
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    181 year ago

    I wanted to go to this when I was a teen because it was so counter culture and free spirited. Now you couldn’t pay me to go. It’s gross what techbros and 1%ers have turned it into.

    • @[email protected]
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      fedilink
      101 year ago

      Same with every festival. So disappointing that I’ll never have the chance to experience (or be able to afford, regardless) the way Coachella or Burning Man was when I was younger.

    • @Raiderkev
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      51 year ago

      I went out to the black rock desert in middle School in the late 90’s as part of a school trip. We launched rockets in the desert. It was super cool. I remember hearing about this burning man thing they did there every year in the summer and it sounded so cool. Then I got older, and we got this. Good riddance.