Burning Man festival-goer shows grim conditions after flooding chaos
Burning Man attendees were permitted to begin exodus on Monday afternoon after severe flooding left thousands stuck on site.
After heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hilary caused the typically dry Nevada ground to turn into a slippery mud pit, organisers for the festival said people can begin leaving and the annual burning of the man will occur Monday evening – though it is still weather-dependent.
Due to the rain, the entrance to the festival was closed and revelers were urged to conserve water, food and fuel until the ground began to dry up.
Meanwhile, authorities have identified the reveler who died at the festival as 32-year-old Leon Reece.
The Pershing County sheriff’s office said it had received a call around 6.24pm (local time) on Friday about an unresponsive man on the ground at Black Rock City.
Due to the heavy rain on the playa, access to the area was delayed and by the time deputies arrived, the man was pronounced dead, sheriff Jerry Allen told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Authorities also debunked conspiracy theories online, including false claims of an Ebola outbreak.
