Burning Man Festival 2023 Updates: One Death, Many Stranded Due to Heavy Rain, Mud [REPORT]

Burning Man 2023 ended in disaster after a heavy downpour interrupted the festivities, which resulted in thick mud, in the remote Black Rock Desert in Nevada.

There are about 75,000 people still stranded on the music festival grounds, with one death reported. The only casualty was not identified, however, authorities say, "The family has been notified."

According to reports, people had to leave the site on foot because vehicles could not traverse the thick mud, and were simply "stuck in place."

Roads to Burning Man are also closed because it is "too wet and muddy." Attendees and their families are discouraged from using any vehicle within or going to the grounds, as well.

"Please do NOT drive at this time," authorities said. "We will update you on the driving ban after this weather front has left the area."

Burning Man 2023 Attendees Stranded

According to reports, no one is certain when the thousands of remaining people can be safely evacuated from the site, especially given the unpredictable and harsh weather.

"We do not currently have an estimated time for the roads to be dry enough for RVs or vehicles to navigate safely," said organizers of the Burning Man music festival.

"Monday late in the day would be possible if weather conditions are in our favor. It could be sooner," they reassured.

In addition to the inaccessible roads for vehicles, the event's airport was also shut down. For now, attendees would have to wait for the Burner Bus to shuttle them out of the venue, however, this has been postponed until further notice.

Diplo, Chris Rock Flee Burning Man 2023

Just like the Burning Man attendees, the artists who were set to perform at the event were also faced with a difficult decision: walk for miles to get to safety or wait for a shuttle.

According to Page Six, Diplo and Chris Rock decided to walk for six miles before they eventually hitched a ride with a fan.

"A fan offered Chris Rock and I a ride out of Burning Man in the back of a pickup," wrote Diplo on Instagram along with a video.

"I legit walked the side of the road for hours with my thumb out cuz [sic] I have a show in D.C. tonight and didn't want to let y'all down.

"[...] Shoutout to this guy for making the smart purchase of a truck not knowing it was for this exact moment."

Tags

Burning Man Festival, Report