An incident at Burning Man has left thousands of people trapped without a way out. While many details are left under the wrap by the authorities present at the scene, a few details have been disclosed by news outlets.
If you’re not familiar with the Burning Man event, it is an annually held festival that focuses on community, self-expression, and art, and every year, thousands of people attend it in order to burn a giant wooden effigy just before Labor Day.
Apparently, the attendees who traveled to the Nevada desert for the Burning Man festival were inundated by heavy rains that created ankle-deep mud, preventing anyone from entering or leaving the festival.
If you’re curious about more specifics regarding the Burning Man incident, read the article until the end.
How Did People Get Trapped at Burning Man Festival?
The Burning Man festival is held in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, and this year almost 70, 000 people have arrived from all over the world. However, there are no cities near the desert, and the closest is Reno, which is more than 140 miles away.
Only two entries and exits are present at the festival—a rural highway leading to the festival gate and a temporary airport established by the government. However, due to the muddy conditions following the heavy rains, both were closed by the officials on Sunday.
Evidently, the organizers couldn’t move any heavy equipment, and it was impossible to erect the statue of the burning man without using the machinery, so it was unavoidable.
Nonetheless, a few people walked out of the mud to the main road and hitchhiked on rides to leave the festival, and those who entered the event using vehicles had to stay behind.
Did Ebola Outbreak Occur at Burning Man?
After learning that thousands of people were trapped in the desert and the only two entry and exit paths were closed off, rumors began circulating that an Ebola outbreak had occurred at Burning Man. So, is it true?
As you can see from the above tweet, it is fake news, and the people are safe and sound, having fun with their friends and families with a bit of discomfort due to the muddy surface.
While it looks like they are stuck there for a while, a few other incidents have also happened at Burning Man, according to reports revealed by the officials.
Climate Protestors and a Death Investigation
While the situation escalated in a complicated way due to unforeseen circumstances, climate protestors blockaded the highway, demanding that the Burning Man festival ban the use of private jets and single-use plastics.
As you can see from the above video shared on X (Twitter), the ranger’s vehicle whacked straight into the blockade, and he exited the car, threatening the protestors to get on their knees.
Fortunately, no one was injured, and the tribal chairman, James J. Phoenix, later released a statement saying that the ranger was using his patrol vehicle to clear out the protesters.
Meanwhile, another incident of a confirmed death also took place at Burning Man as a forty-year-old man left his last breath at the festival. The identity of the person and the reason for his death have yet to be disclosed, and various media outlets have been reaching out to law enforcement agents for further information.
So, we can only wait and see how it turns out and when the debris caused by mud and rains will clear out. What do you think about the incident?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
