It has been reported that police are currently investigating the cause of death of a woman who was found unresponsive on the first day of Burning Man 2024.
The week-long festival – which is located in the deserts of Nevada and focuses on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance – kicked off yesterday (August 25). Burning Man is slated to continue until Monday (September 2).
As reported by the Reno Gazette-Journal and according to the festival’s organisers, Jane Doe was discovered unresponsive on Sunday (August 25) at 11:29am in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.
It was said that emergency services personnel’s attempts at saving the victim’s life were unsuccessful. Speaking to Reno Gazette-Journal, Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said that his deputies were notified of the death at 11:37am.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the decedent,” the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “This is the first reported death on the playa this year and unfortunately it has happened on day one.”
An investigation will remain ongoing until a cause of death can be determined.
The festival also shared a statement to the Burning Man Journal that they have chosen to not provide any further details out of respect to the family’s privacy and have offered counselling services to attendees of the week-long event.
In other news, this year marked the first time the festival had opened ticket sales to non-registered buyers.
In previous years, Burning Man was known to sell out of tickets months in advance, sometimes within 30 minutes of release. But this year, slow sales have led to tickets being readily available for purchase by those who have not pre-registered.