A second death has been confirmed at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, as the event grapples with muddy conditions following heavy rainfall. The Burning Man Project reported that Craigh Mann, 60, was discovered deceased in his camp around 3 p.m. on Saturday. No cause of death has been released.
Mann's death occurred just hours after a separate fatality was announced. The first deceased individual, believed to be in his 50s, was found unresponsive around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. First responders were unable to revive him. The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner's Office is conducting autopsies for both individuals to determine the causes of death.
There is currently no indication that the two deaths are related. Both incidents occurred before the festival's signature temple burning ceremony, which marks the event's conclusion.
Foul play is not suspected in either death at this preliminary stage, according to Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen. However, officials await autopsy results for definitive conclusions.
The festival, held in Black Rock City, Nevada, has faced disruptions due to intense rainfall on Friday, which transformed the desert playa into mud. As a precautionary measure, Burning Man's gates were temporarily closed, and attendees who had not yet arrived were asked to postpone their travel plans.
This is not the first time fatalities have occurred at Burning Man. Last year, the festival experienced its first homicide when Vadim Kruglov, a Russian national, was found fatally stabbed. No arrests have been made in that case nearly a year later.
Recent years have seen shifts in the festival's demographics, with an increasing share of attendees in their 40s and 50s, while the number of younger participants has declined. Last year, the proportion of attendees in their 50s reportedly surpassed that of those in their 20s.
The festival also faced significant challenges in 2023 when over 70,000 attendees were stranded for days due to extensive mud caused by rainfall equivalent to several months' precipitation.