The driving ban at Burning Man was lifted on Monday — allowing the roughly 64,000 remaining attendees a chance to escape the festival grounds that have turned into a muddy quagmire from heavy rain.
“Operation Exodus” is officially underway in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert thanks to drier ground, festival organizers said in an update posted to its website around 2 p.m. local time.
An endless line of vehicles and RVs slowly left the area Monday, according to images of the mass exit.
But even though the driving ban is no longer in effect, organizers are urging those still present to delay their departure until Tuesday to ease some of the road congestion.
“Please be aware that while conditions are improving and the roads are dry, the playa is still muddy and may be difficult to navigate in some neighborhoods and certain streets,” organizers said.
Reuters
Dub Kitty and Ben Joos, from Idaho and Nevada, walk through mud at Burning Man after a night of dancing with friends in Black Rock City, in the Nevada desert, after a rainstorm turned the site into mud on September 2, 2023. via REUTERS
Attendees were also asked not to exit the Black Rock Desert as others – including comedian Chris Rock and DJ Diplo – did over the weekend.
The pair apparently walked six miles on Saturday through mud before climbing into the back of a fan’s pickup truck, according to a video posted on Instagram by Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz.
“I literally walked on the side of the road for hours with my thumb out,” Diplo wrote.
A recreational vehicle and trailer were seen stuck in dry mud near the Burning Man festival site Monday. Reuters
Mass migration begins Monday. Reuters
A Burning Man attendee lies in mud and water at the event in Black Rock City, in the Nevada desert, after a rainstorm turned the site into mud on September 2, 2023. via REUTERS
The festival banned driving from the site after more than half an inch of rain inundated the area on Friday and led to foot-high mud. However, some left the festival by car before being given the OK by the organizers on Monday.
Weather permitting, the burning of “The Man” – a large wooden effigy shaped like a man – is expected to take place on Monday night, with the burning of the wooden temple structure set for Tuesday night marking the end of the festivities.
The burning was delayed as authorities worked to reopen the exit by the end of the Labor Day weekend.
An estimated 64,000 attendees were still trapped Monday. via REUTERS
The festivities were thrown into disarray when heavy rains lashed the area. AP
A Burning Man participant walks through the mud in Black Rock City, in the Nevada desert.via REUTERS
The famous alternative festival, first started in 1986 on the coast of San Francisco, attracts nearly 80,000 artists, musicians and activists and includes wilderness camping and avant-garde performances.
“We’re pretty dirty and muddy, but spirits are high,” says Southern California photographer Scott London. “The party’s still going.”
As floods hit the area, revelers were urged to conserve food and water as many still flocked.
“Everyone has just adjusted, sharing an RV to sleep in, offering food and coffee,” said Philadelphia photographer Rebecca Barger. “I danced in foot-deep clay for hours to an incredible DJ.”
A satellite image shows an overview of the traffic jam of people leaving the annual Burning Man festival in Nevada’s Black Rock desert on September 4, 2023. Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Tech/AFP via Getty Images
Some waded through the mud to escape the festival.ZUMAPRESS.com
Tens of thousands were still at the site Monday afternoon. AP
Others were able to escape their dire circumstances by walking several miles to the nearest town to catch a car.
The festival was rocked by deaths over the weekend, although organizers said it was not weather-related. Further details about the death of the man in his 40s have not been released.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
