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 revellers were urged to conserve water, food and fuel until the ground began to dry up.
Meanwhile, new details have been released about the death of a man at the Burning Man festival after around 70,000 attendees were trapped on the site in the midst of an unexpected storm.
On Sunday, Burning Man Communications said in a statement that the death was “unrelated to the weather”. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the death.
The drama has led to the spread of rampant – and debunked – conspiracy theories online including false claims of an Ebola outbreak.